Which Parasite Is Commonly Transmitted From Animals To Humans Through Contact With Feces

Dogs and cats are not just pets. They are treated like members of the family. And similar any member of your family unit, information technology's important to keep your companion animal healthy and costless of parasites.

It is fairly common for a dog or cat to get infected with an internal or external parasite at some point in its lifetime. Parasites can impact your pet in a diversity of means, ranging from unproblematic irritation to causing life-threatening atmospheric condition if left untreated. Some parasites tin can even infect and transmit diseases to you and your family.

Your veterinarian tin can help preclude, accurately diagnose and safely treat parasites and other health problems that not simply bear upon your canis familiaris or cat, but also the safety of you and your family.

For more information on how parasites touch your domestic dog or true cat, the wellness risks to people and prevention tips, please visit us at www.petsandparasites.org.

What is a zoonotic disease?

Zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases, are those diseases that tin can exist transmitted directly or indirectly from animals to humans. For example, some worms tin be transmitted in the environment.

What is a vector-borne disease?

Vector-borne diseases are those transmitted by fleas or ticks among other parasites that infest dogs and cats. They can affect pets and people. Ticks can transmit a large number of "vector-borne" diseases in North America including ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.

Parasites that may touch your pet

• Coccidia	• Giardia	• Mange Mites	• Ticks
• Ear Mites	• Heartworms	• Roundworms	• Toxoplasmosis
• Fleas	• Hookworms	• Tapeworms	• Whipworms

Mutual questions about pets and parasites

Do fleas and ticks on my pet present a wellness run a risk to my family unit?

Aye. Fleas and ticks can bear and either directly or indirectly transmit several potential illnesses of humans. For example, rickettsiosis (infection with Rickettsia) can be transmitted directly by ticks. Bartonellosis (infection with Bartonella) is transmitted between cats by fleas and and so may spread to people. Also, fleas serve as an intermediate host for tapeworms, which tin infect both your pet and humans.

What kind of internal parasites or worms can infect my cat or domestic dog?

There are a number of abdominal worms that tin can infect dogs and cats, and they vary co-ordinate to the species. In general, these include roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms, and they are very prolific. In fact, one worm can produce more than 100,000 eggs per mean solar day, which are then passed in the pet's carrion and spread throughout
the area the pet roams. Once in the surround, some of these eggs tin can remain infective and present a wellness take chances for your pet and humans for years.

Are heartworms a parasite I should be concerned about for my pet?

Yeah. Heartworms can be a very serious problem for both dogs and cats, especially those in musquito-infested areas, every bit mosquitoes are a vector and intermediate host for the pest. Heartworms can kill or seriously debilitate pets that are infected with them. That's because heartworms live in the bloodstream, lungs and middle of infected pets. Your veterinarian tin can practice a blood exam to determine if your pet has heartworm illness. A year-round preventive plan is virtually effective to keep pets free of heartworms.

If my dog or true cat has intestinal worms, how can these parasites infect humans?

Roundworms are the near common intestinal parasite of pets and the most probable to exist transmitted to humans. Humans tin can accidentally ingest infective worm eggs that have been passed through the pet'south carrion and left in the environment. The eggs tin can then hatch in the human'southward intestinal tract, and the immature worms tin can travel to various tissues in the trunk, including the optics and brain, potentially causing serious infections.

For more oft asked questions and answers, please visit us at world wide web.petsandparasites.org or consult with your veterinarian.

Reducing risks for your family unit

You can reduce the risk of parasitic infection to your family by eliminating parasites from pets; restricting admission to contaminated areas, such as sandboxes, pet "walk areas," and other high-traffic areas; and practicing good personal hygiene.

Disposing of pet feces on a regular basis can assist remove potentially infective worm eggs before they become distributed in the surround and are picked up or ingested by pets or humans.

Year-round prevention

Parasites tin infect your pet whatever time of year. External parasites, such as fleas and ticks, may exist less prevalent exterior during sure times of the year; however, they frequently survive in the business firm during the winter months, creating an uninterrupted life cycle. Other internal parasites, such equally worms, may affect your pet all yr long. That'due south why it's
important to consult with your veterinarian to implement a year-circular parasite control program.

What can I practise?

Responsible pet parasite command can reduce the risks associated with transmission of parasitic diseases from pets to people. By post-obit a few simple guidelines, pet owners tin improve protect their pets and their family.

Exercise expert personal hygiene.
Use a preventative flea and/or tick treatment twelvemonth-circular.
Simply feed pets cooked or prepared food (not raw meat).
Minimize exposure to high-traffic pet areas.
Clean upwards pet feces regularly.
Visit your veterinarian for almanac testing and physical examination.
Administer worming medications as recommended by your veterinary.
Ask your veterinarian about parasite infection risks and effective year-round preventative control measures administered monthly.

For more important information near parasite control guidelines, ask your veterinarian or visit us at www.petsandparasites.org.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council

The Companion Creature Parasite Quango (CAPC) is an independent council of veterinarians and other animate being healthcare professionals established to create guidelines for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. It brings together broad expertise in parasitology, internal medicine, public wellness, veterinary constabulary, individual exercise and clan leadership.

Initially convened in 2002, CAPC was formed with the express purpose of changing the way veterinary professionals and pet owners approach parasite direction. The CAPC advocates all-time practices for protecting pets from parasitic infections and reducing the take a chance of zoonotic parasite transmission.