Letter: Letters: Handsome worms

From JOHN HAY

I really must protest at the description of the hookworm as repulsive
(In Brief, 16 April). Did you not notice the cephalic glands, the head
papillae and the ventral and pharyngeal teeth, that are constructed with
the other component parts to produce a creature with exquisite and truly
aesthetic patterning?

Since it clearly cannot be the appearance of the worm which is offensive,
could your repulsion be something to do with its habits? The ‘human’ relatives
of the ‘dog’ hookworm do tend to attract a very bad press, but this may
be the consequence of their negative aspects only being reported.

But what of the anaemia? Definitely not good! Is it not, however, of
the iron deficiency kind, and if not too severe, will this not afford some
protection against bacterial infection? And, well, reduction in inflammatory
bowel disease.

In these days of political correctness, should we not be more positive
about the role of the hookworm? Repulsive indeed!

John Hay Paisley, Strathclyde