A parasitic disease in livestock and wild animals caused by infection with Haemonchus worms that feed on blood in the animal's intestines.
From the genus Haemonchus (a parasitic worm) + '-iasis' (a medical condition or disease state). The genus name combines Greek 'haima' (blood) + 'onkos' (hook), referring to the worm's blood-feeding behavior.
Haemonchus worms are called 'barber pole worms' because they have red and white stripes—they're responsible for more livestock deaths than almost any other parasite, and farmers lose billions of dollars annually fighting them.
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