HWN Suggests

Study: 'Teach Children That It Is Dangerous to Eat Dirt or Soil'

PROBLEM: Toxacora, parasitic worms that grow in the intestines of puppies and kittens, release their eggs into the environment via the puppies' and kittens' feces. When the eggs worm their way into the soil or other surfaces on which puppies and kittens poop, and are then accidentally ingested by humans (people not washing their hands after gardening or kids playing in the dirt), the resulting infection, or toxocariasis, can cause vision loss and possibly even asthma and epilepsy. So knowing where to focus control efforts can help prevent any of that from happening.

METHODOLOGY: "In the interests of protecting public health," researchers at the University…

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 The Parasite on the Playground

Among the country’s overlooked parasitic infections, “Toxocara is probably the one that affects the broadest range of people,” said Sue Montgomery, lead of the epidemiology team at the parasitic diseases branch of the C.D.C. “Dogs and cats are everywhere. Many of them may carry the parasites.”

 Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact

Toxocariasis is a neglected parasitic zoonosis that afflicts millions of the pediatric and adolescent populations worldwide, especially in impoverished communities. This disease is caused by infection with the larvae of Toxocara canis and T. cati, the most ubiquitous intestinal nematode parasite in dogs and cats, respectively.

Articles of Interest

Don't Eat Dirt

Dirt is not the new superfood. Quite the contrary: dirt is the home of some nasty parasites, including a type of worm call toxocara, which can make you extremely ill. These worms are invisible to the naked eye–you can't see them crawling around–but they can cause devastating disease and even death.

Toxocariasis and Public Health: An Epidemiological Review

An epidemiological review of toxocariasis aimed to underpin its prevalence, proclivity and prognosis was undertaken. Human toxocariasis constitutes one of the most common parasitic infections worldwide, which is more prevalent in developing and tropical countries. Human infection is caused by ingesting the eggs which were shed in the faeces of the definite dog or cat host.

How can Toxocariasis affect me?

Toxocariasis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxocara canis or T. cati roundworms commonly found in the digestive tracts of dogs and cats. Toxocariasis is a classified zoonosis that is easily spread to humans who don’t observe good hygiene when handling their pets or fail to keep up-to-date with worming.

Mother, 34, loses an eye 30 years after catching infection from dog mess in a park

If someone ingests even just small particles of contaminated soil, they may develop toxocariasis - which can cause blindness, but usually only affects one eye.

Neglected Parasitic Infections in the United States: Toxocariasis

Toxocariasis, a parasitic disease caused by dog roundworms (Toxocara canis), cat roundworms (T. cati). or possibly other species of Toxocara, can lead to debilitating disease in humans and mainly affects children.

Sandboxes Are Disgusting

They can also be dangerous.

Toxocara canis

Toxocara canis is found all over the world and is most prevalent in areas populated by domesticated dogs and other canids. This is because dogs are the definitive hosts for this parasite.

Toxocara Canis (Visceral Larva Migrans, Toxocariasis)

Human toxocariasis is a helminthic infection that primarily impacts populations of lower socioeconomic class in tropical and subtropical latitudes around the world. It is a roundworm (also known as nematode) that is not frequently clinically consequential; however, it is known to have severe complications such as blindness or meningoencephalitis.

Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact

Toxocariasis is a prevalent zoonosis with a significant socioeconomic impact, particularly on impoverished communities around the world.

Toxocariasis: America's Most Common Neglected Infection of Poverty and a Helminthiasis of Global Importance?

New information indicates that toxocariasis is the most common human parasitic worm infection in the United States, affecting millions of Americans living in poverty. The infection is also highly prevalent in many developing countries and its global importance may be greatly underestimated.

Whodunit, the cat or the dog?

Humans are not a definitive host for Toxocara spp. and the worms are unable to complete their life cycle. As a result the larvae migrate to a variety of “abnormal” tissues e.g. heart, liver, brain, lungs, muscle and eyes, where they become encysted and trigger a local inflammatory response. It is this local inflammatory response that causes the symptoms and signs of toxocariasis in humans and the development of local granulomas.

Resources

CDC

Toxocariasis is the parasitic disease caused by the larvae of two species of Toxocara roundworms: Toxocara canis from dogs and, less commonly, Toxocara cati from cats. Toxocariasis is considered one of the Neglected Parasitic Infections, a group of five parasitic diseases that have been targeted by CDC for public health action.

FPNotebook

Prevention... Careful child supervision. Prevent soil ingestion. Encourage hand washing. Regular worming of cats and dogs. Clean up after pets. Cover sandbox between use. Cook liver and other organ meats well before eating.

KidsHealth

When common parasites of dogs and cats infect humans, the illness is called toxocariasis (or visceral larva migrans). Toxocariasis usually affects kids under age 10. Especially at risk are those who like to put things in their mouths, or kids whose families have pet dogs or cats.

MedlinePlus

Visceral larva migrans (VLM) is caused by roundworms (parasites) that are found in the intestines of dogs and cats. Eggs produced by these worms are in the feces of the infected animals. The feces mix with soil. Humans can get sick if they accidentally eat soil that has the eggs in it. This can happen by eating fruit or vegetables that were in contact with infected soil and were not washed thoroughly before eating. People can also become infected by eating raw liver from a chicken, lamb, or cow. Young children with pica are at high risk of getting VLM.

Merck Manual

Toxocariasis is human infection with nematode ascarid larvae that ordinarily infect animals. Symptoms are fever, anorexia, hepatosplenomegaly, rash, pneumonitis, asthma, or visual impairment. Diagnosis is by enzyme immunoassay. Treatment is with albendazole or mebendazole. Corticosteroids may be added for severe symptoms or eye involvement.

Stanford.edu

Although both dogs and cats can transmit Toxocariasis, T. canis is much more common due to the indiscriminate defecatory habits of dogs.