Teen infested with hookworm parasite while playing on beach
Digital Reporter
Thursday, July 26, 2018, 3:28 PM - A mother from Memphis, Tennessee has posted a graphic warning on Facebook about the dangers of going barefoot at the beach.
Kelli Mulhollen Dumas shared photos of her son Michael's foot after he was infected with hookworm parasites at Pompano Beach.
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Kelli says his friends had buried him in the sand, and that's when the infection occurred.
Mulhollen Dumas says the ordeal has been a "nightmare" for the whole family.
Four people in their group contracted the infection, but Michael's was the worst. A round of treatment cost $1356 and consisted of 6 pills.
Mulhollen Dumas contacted Pompano Beach Health officials who told her that "everyone knows to wear shoes on the beach because you can get parasites."
“I assured them everyone does NOT KNOW THAT,” Mulhollen Dumas wrote on Facebook.
HOOKWORM INFECTIONS
People living in warm and moist climates where there are poor sanitation practices are at risk of hookworm infection, the Center for Disease Control writes on its website.
Infection occurs when skin makes contact with soil that is contaminated.
Symptoms can include localized rashes, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss.
