How Parasites In A Pet Can Affect Human Health

Victoria Aly Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~3 minutes Last Updated: November 05, 2022
How Parasites In A Pet Can Affect Human Health

Treating a pet against parasites is a common thing that responsible pet owners regularly do. They do it not only because they love their tails very much.

Treating your pet against parasites is a common thing that responsible pet owners do regularly. They do it not only because they love their tails very much. In this way, people also protect their health, because many dog ​​and cat parasites pose a danger to humans as well.

What parasites of pets are dangerous for humans?

The most dangerous parasites for humans transmitted from pets are:

  1. Pincers
  2. Roundworms or nematodes
  3. Tapeworms

A tick can "come" on a dog from a walk in the park to an apartment, and then infect a family member. Ticks are very durable and hardy, they can wait for the right moment to bite the victim for many years.

 

The results of tick infestation are very sad: borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis are dangerous infectious diseases that can lead to severe irreversible pathologies of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, musculoskeletal system, and even death.

Roundworms or nematodes can enter the human body in the following ways:

  • from puppies or kittens. They are often infected with parasites from their mother during the intrauterine period of development. Parasites can also enter the body of babies with mother's milk. Eggs of worms come out with feces, they are licked by the mother and spread on the coat of the baby, licking it. They enter the human body through dirty hands;
  • through pet feces. Therefore, it is very important to clean up after your dog on the street, in your own yard. Keep the cat's litter box clean and wash your hands thoroughly after contact with your pet's feces;
  • through soil where there are dogs or cats. Larvae can be stored in the ground for many years, and get on a person's hands when they come in contact with the ground or the hair of an animal that has not played on the ground.

After the larvae enter the human body, they begin to "travel" and can cause serious damage, such as blindness or suffocation.

Tapeworms are carried by fleas. A person can enter the body only if he accidentally swallows an infected flea on the fur of his cat or dog. Or you can get a problem together with the saliva of an animal that caught and ate a flea. Such cases happen much more often than it might seem. The owner of the animal may not even notice what happened and get sick.

Some of the numerous types of tapeworms can cause hydatosis. It is characterized by the formation of compactions (cysts) in the body, which can affect the liver, spleen, kidneys, bones, brain and even lead to death.

For whom are pet parasites the greatest danger?

Children and adults with weak immunity are most vulnerable to parasites carried by pets.

Children are very mobile, contact, safe, and still too young to critically assess invisible danger. They treat animals in almost the same way as they treat people: they pet them, kiss them, treat them from their hands, and then eat them themselves. This significantly increases the risk of infestation by parasites.

Weakened and sick people have weak immunity, so the consequences of infection for them can be much more severe than for a person with strong immunity.

 

How to prevent parasite infection from a pet?

 
  1. Treat all pets regularly for parasites and use tick and flea treatments.
  2. Clean up feces from your yard and places where you walk your dog.
  3. Clean, wash and change the litter in the cat litter box regularly.
  4. Observe personal hygiene and teach children to treat animals properly and wash their hands as often as possible.

Following these simple rules will help your family minimize the risk of parasites, keep pets and other family members healthy.

 

 
 

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