Intestinal Parasites of Dogs and Cats.

Can my pet’s intestinal worms cause problems for my children?

Common intestinal parasites frequently cause health problems for people. Young children, youth under the age of 20, and the immunocompromised are at greatest risk. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on November 7, 2007, found that almost 14% of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara. Toxocara species are common roundworms found in dogs and cats.

Toxocara and some other parasites undergo tissue migration as they grow. People and pets become infected in the environment by eating the infective larvae. These can be found in contaminated soil and in prey species. The larvae exit through the wall of the intestine and in their normal host, migrate through the liver, into the lungs, and then are coughed up and swallowed. The worms then stay in the intestines as adults. A single female Toxocara worm can produce 100,000 eggs per day. After being passed in the feces, the eggs can remain viable in the environment for years. Additionally, puppies are infected across the placenta, and nursing pups and kittens are infected from their mother’s milk.

People are not the normal host for the parasites. Therefore, the migrating parasite larvae are not able to find their way properly. The result, larvae migrate to abnormal organs causing disease. There are two major forms of Toxocariasis: Ocular larval migrans and visceral larval migrans.

Ocular larval migrans occurs when a microscopic worm larva migrates into the eye. The resulting trauma and inflammation causes retinal scarring. Each year more than 700 people infected with Toxocara experience permanent partial loss of vision.

Visceral larval migrans is usually caused by heavier or repeated Toxocara infections. In this form, the microscopic worm larvae migrate to various organs causing inflammation. Symptoms will vary depending on the organs, including the central nervous system, affected.

Toxocara is only one of the common parasites. There are many intestinal parasites, and most, if not all, are capable of causing severe problems for people. Further information on intestinal parasites can be found at www.cdc.gov and at www.capcvet.org (Companion Animal Parasite Council).

To best protect yourself, your family and your pets, talk to your veterinarian about the best parasite control plan for your pet. This plan should include routine deworming of juvenile and adult dogs and cats, regular pet fecal examinations, practicing good personal hygiene, cleaning up pet feces regularly to reduce environmental contamination, and minimizing exposure of children to potentially contaminated environments.

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