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"Dog Parasites (flea, Tick, Worms, Etc.)"
Dog Parasites (Flea, Tick, Worms, etc.): Page 20
of 26
Roundworm: Waste transmitted disease
An important aspect of a responsible dog owner is to be able to
prevent the spread of disease from pets to humans. The most effective
way of preventing this type of disease is proper hygiene, careful
sanitation practices, and keeping your dog healthy by avoiding
scratches and bites. There are two common parasites that transmit
disease through their waste: roundworm and hookworm.
Roundworm is a parasite that is commonly found in dogs. The
infectious form of roundworms are their eggs. The eggs of this
parasite incubate for several weeks in the ground which is found in
the dog's feces. If a child plays in the area close to the feces and
puts her hands in her mouth, she can accidentally swallow the eggs and
thus become infected. This is the reason why migrating roundworms
most likely occur in children, specifically toddlers. The illness is
usually mild and long lasting but rarely fatal.
When children swallow the roundworm that is mostly carried by dogs and
cats, the worms often migrate through the body tissues and cause
damage such as fever and liver enlargement. These symptoms may last
as long as a year. In some children the larvae may enter the eye and
cause inflammation. This is a very serious case because instead of
detecting the presence of roundworms, surgeons have been known to make
the mistake of identifying eye lesions as an early stage of cancer.
They may make the mistake of unnecessarily removing the child's eye
because of the wrong diagnosis.
Another type of parasite that is very similar to a roundworm is
hookworm. This type of worm enters its host in a different way.
Infectious larvae of the hookworm directly penetrate the skin where it
comes in contact with soil or sand contaminated with feces. Unlike
roundworms, hookworms are not suited to live inside the human body and
eventually die after moving a few inches under the skin. The
inflammation is usually called creeping eruption and eventually
disappears after a few weeks or sometimes months. In the United
States, this problem most often occurs in the South.
Aside from cleaning up after your pet, here are some suggestions you
should take and teach your children to prevent contamination from
roundworms and hookworms:
1. Wash your hands thoroughly after contact with soil where your dog
went to relieve himself. 2. Always remind children to wash their
hands before eating and not to put their hands in their mouths. This
is especially important while playing with dogs or other animals and
grounds that may be contaminated with roundworms and hookworms. 3.
Do not go barefoot in areas where a dog may have relieved himself,
especially in warm climates.
Copyright 2006 by Jay Jennings. All rights reserved.
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