There is a term for diseases that are passed on from animals to people. It is called zoonosis.
Infants and small children are more susceptible to catching parasites and diseases from pets as they have immature immune systems and often poor hygiene.
Can Children Catch Worms from Cats and Dogs?
It is possible for humans and especially children to become infected with worms from cats and dogs. It is important to teach your children to wash their hands before eating. Equally important is to regularly treat your pets for worms.
It should be noted that catching worms from the family pet is not common but you should be aware of the possibility.
Can Roundworm spread from cats and dogs to children?
Roundworm are the most common parasite of the digestive system in cats and dogs. Roundworm can only spread to humans by ingesting roundworm eggs. This can happen when a child comes in contact with contaminated soil or sand and then transfers eggs to the mouth via contaminated fingers or by putting contaminated objects in their mouths.
Visceral larva migrans, is a disease caused by roundworm that can affect humans.
Visceral larva migrans also known as Toxocariasis is a potentially serious disease that can affect the eyes and other organs. The disease is caused by Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) which lives in the intestine of dogs and Toxcara cati (cat roundworm) which lives in the intestine of cats. Dogs have been known to be infected with Toxcara Cati after eating the feces of cats.
After the eggs are inadvertently eaten they hatch in the human intestine. The larvae from these eggs are then released into the bloodstream and find their way to all parts of the body, including the liver, lungs, heart, brain and eyes.
Most human patients are children between the ages of two and four years, who become infected after playing in sandboxes or soil contaminated by pet feces. The eggs can survive in soil for as long as seven years.
Toxocariasis can be prevented by keeping children from playing in soil contaminated by animal feces and by teaching children to wash their hands before eating. Toxocara eggs can only become infective if they have been in the environment for approximately two week, so direct contact with an infected animal generally does not result in transmission.
Can children or adults catch Hookworm from pets?
Hookworm is an intestinal parasite found in cats and dogs but is more common in dogs. Hookworm are most commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas. In animals the hookworm attaches to the inside of the intestinal wall by means of a hook-like mouth and feed on the blood of the host. The eggs are excreted in the animals feces.
Hookworm is transmissible to humans via soil contaminated by cat or dog feces. Hookworm eggs are deposited into the soil. The larvae which hatch from the eggs can infect a human either by ingestion or by penetrating the skin. In skin penetration humans can develop into a characteristic itchy rash called cutaneous larva migrans, or creeping eruption. The rash can take the form of a snake-like tract with blisters which is caused by the hookworm larvae traveling under the skin. In humans when the hookworm enters via the skin it does not find it's way to the intestines.
Children or adults can become infected through the soles of their feet by walking barefoot in a hookworm infected area or on the buttocks by sitting in a infected area. Can Ringworm spread from cats and dogs to children?
Contrary to its name Ringworm is not a worm at all but a fungus called Dermatophytes. Dermaphtytes means 'plants that live on the skin'. In the past, because of the circular lesions made by the fungi they were thought to be caused by worms, hence the name ringworm.
Ringworm is very contagious and can spread from cats, dogs and other animals to humans and visa versa.
