Contact with contaminated soil or dog feces can result in human ingestion and infection. Roundworm eggs may accumulate in significant numbers in the soil where pets deposit feces.
Once infected, the worms can cause eye, lung, heart and neurologic signs in people. Children should not be allowed to play where animals have passed feces. Individuals who have direct contact with soil that may have been contaminated by cat or dog feces should wear gloves or wash their hands immediately. It may not be obvious even if your puppy or dog has roundworms, and yet people can be infected by them. For this reason, it is a good idea to have a regular program of preventative treatment starting with puppies at two weeks of age.
Dogs should have fecal stool exams 2 to 4 times in their first year of life and once or twice a year thereafter. The best way to control roundworms is to be sure to use a parasite control product recommended by your veterinarian every month. How will roundworms affect my dog? How do I prevent my dog from getting roundworms? Can humans be harmed by roundworms?
Nursing kittens and puppies can become infected through milk, however only dogs can become infected in utero. Common across the U. With hook-like mouths and well-developed cutting mouthparts, these are not friendly worms.
Adults reside in the small intestine, attached to the intestine walls where they feed on blood. Hookworms are diagnosed by an examination of the feces for eggs using a microscope. However, in addition to infestation by ingesting eggs, hookworm larvae are also able to penetrate the skin of pets and people alike. These flat worms have a head with suckers to attach to the walls of the small intestines and their larvae can live in the tissue of the host animal.
Also more common in dogs than in cats, whipworms resemble tiny threads and one end is slightly larger than the other. These worms live in the first section of the large intestine, called the cecum. While dangerous to your dog and cat, heartworms are not spread like these other worms. They are the result of mosquitoes and infect both dogs and cats. While found in soil throughout North America and the world, these parasites are not your garden-variety worms. As a matter of fact, worms pose quite a threat to dogs, cats, people and other animals because they can easily infest your pet.
Very often the symptoms go unnoticed until the infestation has become significant. Size and shape. Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms are the most common culprits when it comes to parasitical worms. Most worms are round and can grow to varying lengths, from just a few inches to as many as 7 inches.
Tapeworms are flatworms and can grow as long as 8 inches. Once these worms are in your pet, they like to stay there, unnoticed, while they rob your dog and cat of vital nutrients. Larvae can even lay dormant in the tissues of animals waiting to become active.
This type of roundworm infects 10 to 40 million people annually worldwide, mostly in India, West and Central Africa, and some Middle Eastern countries. Hookworm ancylostomiasis : A hookworm infection happens when larvae come into contact with human skin, through contaminated soil or feces. They go through the skin, making their way through the lungs to the small intestine. There they latch on and grow into adults, laying more eggs.
They feed off the blood of the infected person, which can cause anemia. Children are especially vulnerable to this kind of infection. Loiasis: Loiasis is an infection caused by the roundworm Loa loa. Like river blindness, loiasis is spread by day-biting flies. About 3 to 13 million people in equatorial Africa have been infected with Loa loa. Lymphatic filariasis: A lymphatic filariasis infection happens when a person is bitten by a mosquito containing the roundworms Wucheria bancrofti , Brugia malayi , or Brugia timori.
Over 6 to 12 months, adult worms mature and live in human lymph vessels and nodes. They release eggs that circulate through the blood.
About 90 million people worldwide have been infected with these roundworms. Pinworm enterobiasis : A pinworm infection happens when a person consumes food or drink contaminated with feces. The eggs hatch in the small intestine, and adult worms live in the large intestine. The pregnant female worms move to the anus and deposit large numbers of eggs in the skin around that area. River blindness onchocerciasis : River blindness is an eye infection caused by the roundworm Onchocerca volvulus.
River blindness is spread by day-biting flies, and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. It affects about 20 million people, mostly in Africa. Threadworm strongyloidiasis : Threadworm usually happens when someone walks barefoot on contaminated soil, and larvae get into the skin. Inside the body, they move to the lymph nodes and then to the lungs and throat. When the person coughs, the larvae are swallowed and move to the intestines.
There they grow into adults and produce eggs. About half of the population of some African countries have been infected with threadworm. Trichinosis trichiniasis : Trichinosis is an infection caused by the roundworm Trichinella spiralis.
These larvae live in pigs and other wild carnivores, such as bears. People can get infected when they eat meat particularly pork that is undercooked. The larvae mature in the small intestine and move to muscle cells where they can live for months or years. These parasites usually infect dogs, cats, and raccoons.
People can get infected by eating soil contaminated by animal feces. While the larvae do not grow to be adults in people, they go through the intestinal wall and move to various parts of the body, particularly the lungs and liver.
Whipworm trichuriasis : A whipworm infection happens when a person eats food contaminated with soil that has the eggs of the worm. After eggs are eaten, larvae hatch and attach themselves to the large intestine. Risk Factors The risk factors for roundworm infection include: Living in or visiting a warm, tropical climate Poor sanitation Poor personal hygiene Crowded conditions, such as day care or institutional settings Weakened immune system Malnutrition Eating undercooked meat Eating dirt or clay, children tend to become infected this way Contact with animal feces Multiple insect bites.
Diagnosis Diagnosing roundworm infection involves finding out which worm is causing the infection. Other steps in diagnosis may include: Physical exam Stool and urine samples: to identify microorganisms in the stool and urine Blood tests: to find infection in the blood Muscle or skin biopsy: to find infections that affect the muscle or skin Ultrasound: reveals worms in lymph nodes X-ray: show large worms in abdominal region Tape test: used particularly for pinworm infections.
A doctor applies sticky tape to the skin around the anus, and then examines the tape under a microscope. Preventive Care It is easier to prevent roundworms than to cure them. The steps to preventing roundworm infection include: Practice good personal hygiene. Wash hands and avoid contact with fecal matter. DO NOT eat uncooked or unwashed fruits and vegetables. Stay away from mosquito or fly-infested areas. Wear protective clothing and use insect repellant. Cook or freeze meat thoroughly. Keep children away from pet feces.
Ask a veterinarian about deworming pets. Public health measures include improving general sanitation, especially sewage disposal, and reducing mosquito and fly populations.
Treatment The main treatment for roundworm infections are medications that kill parasites. Medications Antiparasitic drugs and other medications used to treat roundworm infections and certain complications include: Ascariasis: Medendazole Vermox , ivermectin Stromectol , albdendazole Albenza Hookworm: Medendazole Vermox , albdendazole Albenza Loiasis: Dieythelcarbamazine DEC, Hetrazan , albdendazole Alvenza Lymphatic filiariasis: Ivermectin Stromectol , dieythelcarbamazine DEC, Hetrazan River blindness: Ivermectin Stromectol Threadworm: Ivermectin Stromectol , thiabendazole Mintezol , albdendazole Albenza Trichinosis: Albdendazole Albenza , medendazole Vermox Whipworm: Medendazole Vermox , albdendazole Albenza Other medications: Prednisone : for severe VLM and sometimes in cases of trichinosis Oral iron : if the person is anemic Pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines, and antibiotics : for relief of symptoms or to treat bacterial infection See "Warnings and Precautions" for certain medications that someone with roundworm infection should avoid.
Surgery and Other Procedures Guinea worms should be removed surgically, but surgery is not available in many areas where there are a lot of infections.
Treatment to reduce swelling from lymphatic filariasis may include: Bandaging Physical therapy Careful skin care Draining fluids Nutrition and Dietary Supplements Many people who are infected with roundworms are malnourished, so getting enough nutrients for overall health may help prevent and treat roundworm infection. These tips for overall good health may lower chances of getting infected: Eat bitter and spicy foods, such as those containing turmeric curries , cayenne peppers, green chilies, olives, figs, garlic, and ginger.
Drink warm teas that contain spices such as cardamom, clove, and cinnamon.
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