Comparative immunology of human and animal models of hookworm infection.

Hookworm infection is a major cause of disease burden for animals and humans. Over the past years, the use of animal models in hookworm infections has been driven by the search of new anthelminthic therapies and, especially, vaccine development. These studies also contributed to the advance of knowledge on immunity to hookworms, offering new insights to understand the nature of this parasitic infection. In this article, we will summarize the essential features of the immune response in the two major animal models of hookworm infections (dog and hamster) and then consider its implication for the human immune response.