Ancylostomiasis, i.e., infestation by Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus, involves several thousands of subjects every year throughout the world and especially in tropical and subtropical regions where it is endemic. In Italy, after a severe epidemic during the construction of the St. Gotthard tunnel in the 1880s, and after a period of endemic infestation limited to some areas (1955-60), the last few years have witnessed a marked drop in the incidence of this disease which is nevertheless relevant in that it involves certain groups with occupational risk (farmers, miners, workers in clay quarries, etc.) and certain geographic areas of our country where inadequate hygienic behavior still persists among the rural population. After up-dating the epidemiology of the infestation, the authors review the principal prophylactic and therapeutic measures available.