Heterosexual transmission is common in these areas. Incubation is 2-8 weeks. Entry points are sometimes pruritic. Respiratory symptoms occur in a few patients. Infants and children may experience severe anemia, protein deficiency, and developmental delays.
Treatment is with mebendazole, albendazole, or pyrantel pamoate.
None of these are safe in pregnancy and neither mebendazole nor albendazole should be given to children under 1 year of age. The anemia should be treated with ferrous sulfate. A cutaneous nodule may or may not appear at the site of the bite. Onset may also be acute, with the above manifestations appearing a few weeks after infection. Orally administered miltefosine has recently shown great promise.