If inadvertently eaten, the eggs reach the intestines - hatch in the intestines and thus the cycle continues. It lives in the small intestine, lays enormous quantities of eggs that are excreted in the feces. The eggs remain viable for a long time in the soil and can enter the body in unwashed or raw food. Foods that are eaten raw like salads and vegetables readily transmit the infection. Children playing in soil can also pick up infection.
Hookworms enter the body through skin, commonly through bare feet.
It may also be acquired by food also. The larvae migrate to the small intestine, where they may live for several years taking nutrients from the intestinal walls. Hookworm infection causes chronic blood loss and depletion of body's Iron stores leading to Iron deficiency anemia. Apart from the characteristic itching in the anal area produced by pinworm infection most of the symptoms of worm infection are non characteristic. The worm itself is sometimes visible in stool samples or around the anus.