Cleaning up after your dog and cat is not only a matter of a clean and aesthetically pleasing environment, but also a matter of health. The feces of our four-legged pets can contain dangerous parasites and microorganisms that can cause disease in both humans and other animals.
Dog or cat roundworm eggs
Humans can become infected with dog roundworm (Toxocara cani) or cat roundworm eggs through the oral route. Eggs can be found in feces-contaminated soil or sand - for example, in a neighborhood sandbox, in a park, on a lawn, or even around the house if infected quadrupeds are present. A place where children are often infected is uncovered sandboxes, where cats like to poop.
Dog roundworm eggs in humans develop to the level of larvae, which end up in the liver and other organs (causing what is known as visceral toxocariasis) or, much less frequently, in the eyeball (ocular toxocariasis). In an infected human, unlike in dogs, the parasites do not develop in the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, syndromes caused by roundworm larvae lead to serious health problems, especially in children.
Content locked
To gain access to the complete English section of the Medexpress.pl, kindly reach out to us at [email protected].
