Thanks to widespread treatment efforts, education and economic development, the parasitic worm was eradicated in the U.S. although the exact date isn't clear — somewhere between the 1950s and the 1980s. Hookworm was now just a problem of the developing world — or so we thought.

Is hookworm still around?

Contrary to popular belief, hookworm—an intestinal parasite in humans consisting of larvae and adult worms that reside within the small intestine—still exists in the United States.

How did Rockefeller's medical investigators eradicate the hookworm problem?

By implementing a three-pronged approach, including mapping the disease, curing patients, and providing education, the RSC not only dramatically reduced the disease, but created a culture of public health.