Have you ever wondered if humans can get worms from dogs and cats? You don’t have to wonder any longer, the answer is ‘yes’. In this overview we look at which worms can be transmitted between pets and humans, what diseases they cause and how to prevent this potential health risk.
Firstly when a disease or parasite can be transmitted from animals to humans it is called a zoonosis. It is often a concern when a pet is diagnosed with intestinal worms whether the family is at risk of contracting the parasite. The concern is valid but the good news is that it is easily managed with education, proper precautions and a well organised deworming program for your pets.
There are two main categories of worms that can infect people, round worms and tapeworms. For both these worm types humans can act as either definitive (or final) hosts, intermediate hosts or paratenic hosts. The definitive host is the host when the worms are adults in the intestinal system and when they shed eggs. The intermediate host occurs when the eggs are ingested and form cysts in various organs and tissues of the body. A paratenic host is one that is not necessary for the life cycle of the worm but is similar to an intermediate host in that it is a temporary host where the worm does not develop further in its life cycle until such time it can find a suitable permanent host where it can complete its life cycle. Certain larva can also penetrate and migrate through the skin. All hosts are infected by larva which are the immature parasite that come from eggs.
Prevention of worm infections
A regular and up to date deworming program is one of the best ways to prevent your pets and family from getting infected with worms. Puppies and kittens are extremely susceptible to worm infections. The mother should be dewormed prior to having a litter and all the babies should be dewormed at weaning before they are sent off to their new homes. With each puppy/kitten vaccinations they should be dewormed. From then on all animals should be dewormed every three to six months. This is dependent on their exposure to potentially contaminated areas as well as other animals. Should you walk your dogs frequently, allowing them to interact with other dogs in the park or running off the lead unattended, they should be dewormed every three months. The same applies to cats, the more cats they potentially come into contact with and the more roaming they are allowed to do, the more frequently they should be dewormed. Apart from tablets given by mouth there are also spot-ons available for deworming cats. This makes the process of deworming a cat a bit easier. If between these periods you are concerned about your pet being infected with worms, you can ask the veterinarian to check for worms by performing a stool exam called a faecal flotation and prescribing a suitable treatment.
Controlling fleas on your animals, as well as in their environment, is an important preventative measure for worm infections. There are a variety of top spot, shampoo and tablet flea treatments and with so many options one can find the one that will most suit your lifestyle and environment. The majority of the tablet and shampoo flea treatments do not have a long lasting or residual effect and only kill fleas which are on your pet at the time. It does not have any impact on the fleas in the environment or the thousands of flea eggs which are waiting to hatch. The top spots tend to last for up to four weeks.
The courteous and correct thing to do is to clean up after your pets when taking your dogs for a walk or to the park. Stools should be picked up and disposed of correctly.
All sand boxes and pits should be covered and regularly cleaned. Do not allow children to play in areas contaminated by animal waste.
It is essential that your children are taught to wash their hands after playing outside or handling animals. This promotes good hygiene and prevents the transmission of disease, including worms.
Do not feed your pets raw meat or organs as these may be a source of Tapeworms.
It is always a good idea to deworm yourself and your family on a yearly basis especially when you have young children. Should you be concerned about any risk or illness you think may be associated with worms, you should contact your medical professional for information and treatment.
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