Ternidens deminutus Revisited: A Review of Human Infections with the False Hookworm

Ternidens deminutus, the false hookworm of humans and non-human primates, represents a truly neglected intestinal helminth infection. The similarity of the eggs of this nematode to those of hookworm both presents a diagnostic challenge and a potential confounder in prevalence surveys of soil transmitted helminths (STH) in regions where T. deminutus is found. The helminth infects non-human primates throughout Africa and Asia, but reports of human infection are almost exclusively found in eastern and southern Africa. Historically, an infection prevalence up to 87% has been reported from some parts of Zimbabwe. Scarce reports of ternidensiasis have also been made in individuals in Suriname and one from Thailand. Little work has been performed on this parasite since the 1970s and it not known why human infection has not been reported more widely or what the current prevalence in humans from historically endemic areas is. This review serves to revisit this enigmatic parasite and provide detail to a modern audience of parasitologists on its history, clinical presentation, geographic distribution, life cycle, biology, morphology, diagnosis and treatment.