Ancylostoma duodenale and the Saint Gothard anaemia

Abstract

This year sees the celebration of the centenary of the official opening of the Saint Gothard railway tunnel, and we felt that it would be of interest to recall the epidemic of ancylostomiasis to which so many of the workmen fell victim. This problem of hygiene rightly had wide scientific and political repercussions at the time, as well as echoes among the public. The anaemia, which first appeared in 1880 when the tunnel was being bored, led the major advances in parasitology, by way of research into the aetiology, epidemiology, and treatment of ancylostomiasis. Even to this day, this infestation, which has claimed innumerable victims in tunnels and mines, is still a serious medical and social problem in several tropical countries.