A young traveller has issued a warning to tourists visiting a tropical holiday hotspot after a barefoot walk on the beach left her with a parasitic infection, which can also be common in Australia.
British woman Ellie Selway was in Thailand when she started experiencing severe itching on her foot. She assumed she’d been bitten by a mosquito until noticing something bizarre on her foot, she explained.
She later learned she’d contracted hookworm. While “common”, especially in tropical areas, “it’s “pretty rare” for it to cause any real trouble, parasitologist Professor Alex Loukas told Yahoo News Australia.
Ellie feared the worst when she saw “a live worm growing through my foot”. “Every few hours, I could feel it move. I could see it making its way up my foot,” she said in a video on TikTok, referring to the rash it had left on her skin.
What are hookworms?
There are two types of hookworms, Loukas explained — one that infects humans (where humans are the main host) and can live in the gut, and another that infects dogs. Although the latter can still find its way inside a human.
“The worm [Ellie] is talking about is almost certainly not a human hookworm,” he said, confirming it’s likely what’s known as cutaneous larva migrans, also known as hookworm from dogs.
“That particular worm can infect through the skin, which is the way that most hookworms enter the body of the host, but it won’t actually mature to adulthood and won’t ever reach the gut.”
Ellie noticed a small tunnel appear on her foot which is caused by the worm. Source: TikTok/ellieselway
In the video, Ellie suggested that if left untreated, “you’re done for”. But debunking her claims, Loukas said “this is not going to kill you and it’s not going to cause organ failure”.
It does indeed “go through the skin and it will cause those little serpiginous tunnels” as seen on her foot. “But it’ll usually die in the tissue there,” he added.
Hookworms ‘most common’ parasite in Aussie pets
Hookworms “are the most common feline and canine parasite in Australia” with “50 to 100 per cent” of those animals being infected in northern parts of the country, particularly Queensland, President for Australian Society for Parasitology, Rebecca Traub, previously told Yahoo
While most cases of cutaneous larva migrans diagnosed in Australia are usually from overseas travellers, especially from Bali and Thailand, it can spread easily through faecal matter from animals — especially on beaches.
“When dogs defecate on the beach, as we know they often do, they’ll pass eggs from the female worms. Those eggs come out in the faeces, and then they embryonate in the environment, and little tiny microscopic larvae hatch out of the eggs.
“That’s the stage that then burrows through the skin of the next vermilion host, whether it happens to be a dog or a cat, or in this case, a human being,” he added saying “it’s often completely asymptomatic”.
Up to half of all Aussies have had hookworm without knowing
In fact, up to 50 per cent of the Australian population have likely experienced hookworm without even knowing.
“They would have penetrated through the skin, and the vast majority of us would have never known it happened,” he explained. “Those larvae would have been trapped in our tissues and killed by our immune system, and you’d be none the wiser”.
But every so often, depending on the species, “those little tunnels” might appear, he said referring to the woman’s foot, making it obvious.
“If people are travelling, particularly in tropical areas, they should go to the doctor. But it’s not a major cause for concern,” he said.
How to prevent hookworm when travelling
Natalie Smith, head travel expert for 1Cover Travel Insurance, said that while the travel insurer has not yet seen claims specifically related to hookworm, travellers to Thailand, and other places, are encouraged to take preventive measures and contact their insurer if they experience symptoms linked to the skin infection.
“If you’re planning a trip to Thailand or another tropical destination, make sure you take precautionary measures, such as wearing shoes in areas prone to hookworm and consulting a travel doctor before you leave,” she told Yahoo.
Hookworms are commonly found on beaches, which is why dogs are often prohibited from most Aussie beaches. Source: Getty
Loukas agrees saying, “if you put a barrier like thongs or sandals or shoes between you and the soil or the sand, you will prevent the worms from penetrating through into your tissues.”
“But people have to weigh up the pros and cons… There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as sitting down on the sand and walking barefoot on the beach,” he added.
“While these infections are reasonably common, particularly in tropical underdeveloped countries or middle-income countries like Thailand, people have to just make a decision that works for them. But if people are worried about it, then they should wear footwear.”
Smith also stressed the importance of having travel insurance — particularly when travelling to more high-risk destinations. “This year, DFAT reported that Thailand was the number one destination in terms of requests for medical assistance,” she added.
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