Hookworms are one of the most common parasites plaguing the companion animal world. They use their hooklike mouths to latch onto a pet’s intestines, where they feast on tissue fluids and blood. Infected pets can experience dramatic weight loss, bloody stool, anemia and lethargy, among other issues.
According to new research from the University of Georgia, they’ve become multiple-drug resistant.
Right now, U.S. veterinarians rely on three types of drugs to kill hookworms, but the parasites appear to be developing resistance to all of them. Researchers from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine first reported this concerning development in 2019. New research, published recently in the International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, provides deeper insight into where the problem started and how bad it was it’s since become.