Daily AncestorHookworm disease
Hookworm disease was a common intestinal worm infection of the rural South, causing anemia and weakness; a Rockefeller campaign fought it from 1909 to 1914.
Hookworm larvae in the soil enter through the skin, and walking barefoot where sanitation was poor was a main risk. The worms then live in the gut. Symptoms include belly pain, diarrhea, weight loss and tiredness, and anemia may result. The American type is Necator americanus.
From 1909 to 1914 the Rockefeller-funded Sanitary Commission for the Eradication of Hookworm Disease worked in 11 Southern states. Hookworm was nicknamed the germ of laziness for the tiredness it caused.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Hookworm disease." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/hookworm-disease. Last checked 2026-10-10.