Puppies are a reservoir of disease to be aware of
According to the Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology, in 2023, the institute recorded a sudden increase in the number of cases of parasitic infections (worms, flukes, dog and cat roundworm larvae, etc.). At times, 300 - 400 people came to the clinic every day; before that, the average was less than 200 people/day.
Developmental cycle of roundworm larvae in dogs and cats
According to Associate Professor - Dr. Do Trung Dung, Head of the Department of Parasitology (Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology), among patients coming to the clinic due to parasitic infections, there was a time when up to 70% of parasitic infections were caused by roundworm larvae of dogs and cats.
Dr. Dung noted that if the family has pets that are not kept in a hygienic manner, it is very easy to swallow these worm eggs. In particular, small dogs are very susceptible to roundworms, the smaller the dog, the more infected it is. Every day, these pets can excrete thousands of worm eggs.
In people infected with canine and feline roundworm larvae, the most common symptom is itching, which is persistent. In these cases, conventional deworming drugs are not effective and require individual evaluation and treatment; the treatment process requires assessment of liver function.
"Families that raise pets need to ensure hygiene and manage feces, because that is a source of worm eggs. People who often hug, kiss, or let dogs and cats sleep with them are at high risk of swallowing worm eggs," said Dr. Dung.
Itching like crazy, scratching like crazy
A doctor from the Examination Department said that in recent years, raising pets (dogs, cats); making friends with pets, treating pets like children, taking them everywhere, even holding and hugging pets very intimately is quite common. However, frequent close contact can cause infection with roundworm larvae from dogs and cats if hygiene in the home and pets is not ensured.
Therefore, it is necessary to deworm pets and especially manage their feces well, because this is the source of dog roundworm eggs. If hygiene is not clean, the pet owner is very susceptible to worm eggs.
Dog and cat roundworm eggs when entering the human body produce dog roundworm larvae, which travel throughout the body such as the brain, liver, lungs, nerves, and eyes.
Parasitic diseases in humans were rare in the past, but now the cases are very diverse. Itching is a common symptom in people infected with roundworms in dogs and cats. Some people have had the disease for many years, but dermatological treatment has not cured them, and topical medications have not helped, causing skin damage, ulceration, and oozing.
"Some people are so itchy that they have to have a large-toothed horn comb to scratch their backs. They scratch whenever they itch. Itching is not dangerous but it affects their lives, they always scratch," the doctor shared.
At the Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology, many patients with long-term itching were found to be infected with roundworm larvae of dogs and cats and were cured, with no itching after treatment.
According to the Ministry of Health, toxocara canis is a parasitic disease transmitted from animals to humans caused by the dog roundworm (Toxocara canis) or cat roundworm (Toxocara cati).
The disease can occur at any age, gender and clinical manifestations range from the larval stage moving in the skin to severe stages in organs such as the lungs, eyes, liver and nervous system of humans.
The main source or reservoir of disease is dogs and cats infected with Toxocara worms; in particular, puppies are the highest risk reservoir for humans.
In addition, some other animals (chickens, ducks, buffaloes, cows, sheep, rabbits) can carry the disease at a lower rate.
Transmission is through people eating food or drinking water contaminated with dog or cat roundworm eggs; people eating organs or raw or undercooked meat of some hosts containing pathogens such as chickens, ducks, buffalo, cows, sheep, and rabbits.
The disease is not transmitted directly from person to person.
Anyone, both sexes, can be infected and is susceptible to reinfection when living in an environment where the disease is endemic.
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