A zoonosis is any disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. While pet owners may be well informed about certain zoonotic diseases such as rabies, their knowledge of other zoonotic risks such as roundworm and hookworm infection may be minimal.
Roundworms and hookworms of dogs and cats have the potential to cause disease in humans. Children may be more at risk of contamination because of their play habits and weak immune system. People can acquire hookworms and roundworms from pets by having contact with soil and sand contaminated by the feces of infected dogs and cats. Children may also inadvertently orally ingest contaminated dirt.
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The scientific name for the most common tapeworm found in dogs and cats is called Dipylidium caninum. Another tapeworm found in dogs anc cats is referred to as Taenia spp. in the scientific literature.
The only way dogs and cats can become infected with tapeworms is by ingesting an intermediate host. These includes fleas, mice, rabbits, or any other small creature your pet may wish to ingest.
Tapeworms are small, flat, segmented intestinal parasites. Often owners will find segments of the tapeworm, called proglottids, which resemble a grain of rice, near the pet’s anus or on feces. There are normally no clinical signs associated with a tapeworm infection.
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Parasitic worms in dogs and cats normally reside in the intestines. The one aspect of these parasitic worms is that worm larvae and eggs can remain dormant for years in tissues and wait for an appropriate trigger to surface and infest your pet.
In many cases it is the stress factor that acts as a trigger for worms to migrate. Feline parasites like roundworms and hookworms can surface abruptly in advanced stages of pregnancy and transmit to the young ones.
Kittens can get infected while in the womb of the female cat or through the milk of the infected mother. Adult cats can get infected by ingesting worm infested feces. They can also fall prey to these parasites if they consume a prey that is infected.
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Out of the numerous intestinal parasites, roundworms and tapeworms are the most common feline parasites that infest cats. The connection between these two intestinal parasites ends here. Roundworms are round and slimy creatures whereas tapeworms are flat and segmented.
Both the worms shed eggs that are passed out in the feces of the cat. But roundworms and tapeworms look different. Roundworm eggs excreted in feces are microscopic, whereas tapeworm eggs are released as packets from the end segments that detach from the worm. These segments can be seen in the cat’s feces or clinging to the hair near the anus of the cat.
Roundworms
The two common species of roundworms found in cats are:
* Toxocara cati
* Toxascaris leonina
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