Question
A: Hook worm causes iron deficiency anemia R: Anemia is due to chronic blood loss
Answer
- [x] a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
Assertion is true: hookworm infection (Ancylostoma duodenale/Necator americanus) is indeed a well-recognized cause of iron deficiency anaemia, particularly significant in endemic, resource-limited regions. Reason is true and correctly explains the assertion: hookworms attach to the intestinal mucosa and feed on host blood, causing chronic, ongoing intestinal blood loss — over time, this chronic blood loss depletes iron stores, directly producing iron deficiency anaemia, precisely explaining why hookworm infection leads to this specific type of anaemia (as opposed to, e.g., a haemolytic or megaloblastic mechanism).