Study design and baseline results of an open-label cluster randomized community-intervention trial to assess the effectiveness of a modified mass deworming program in reducing hookworm infection in a tribal population in southern India.

Introduction: Hookworm infection is a leading cause of iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition in resource-poor settings. Periodic mass deworming with anthelminthic drugs remains the cornerstone of hookworm control efforts worldwide. Reinfection following treatment occurs, reflecting the human host's inability to acquire immunity following exposure to an untreated reservoir of infection.