Most intestinal parasites are transmitted through a fecal-to-oral route and more easily if you have a wound in your mouth. These parasites include Giardia, hookworms, and roundworms.
I frequently receive inquiries like, “Can my dog give me worms?,” despite the fact that the idea of worms inside your dog is pretty nauseating. When I bring a new puppy into the exam room and show a mother and children the results of my fecal exam, for instance, the mother’s eyes frequently widen as she casts a glance at her kids cuddling the puppy.
My mother forbade us from letting the dog lick our faces when we were young, and this fear was probably a contributing factor. So, should you be afraid if your dog licks your face?
First of all, it is true that some parasites found in dogs can infect humans. This may not be exactly how you think. Worms have evolved to live inside their hosts. They desire survival and growth in order to have progeny that can be transferred to the following live host. The parasites that are most successful do not kill their hosts, at least not before the host can help them spread their species.
I believe that people mistakenly believe they can acquire intestinal worms from pets, which will similarly infect their GI tracts, produce minimal to no symptoms, and be easily removed with no long-term effects. It is neither easy nor harmless for people to contract the common zoonotic parasites that infect animals.
Roundworms (Toxocara spp. ) are a zoonotic risk. When roundworm eggs are consumed from a contaminated environment, as opposed to typically from an infected dog licking faces, roundworms pose a threat. Young children who ingest dirt or other environmental objects are most at risk. The larvae tend to migrate away from humans and not settle in the gastrointestinal tract like they would for dogs because humans are not the best hosts for the larvae. Because the worm is not adapted for life outside the GI tract, these migrations, which can occur in multiple organs, are incredibly harmful. Depending on where the larvae migrate, they have been known to damage numerous other organ systems and result in permanent blindness when they migrate in ocular tissue. To protect you both, make sure your dog is on a consistent deworming regimen that includes roundworms.
I see lot of puppies infected with hookworms. The zoonotic threat posed by these worms results in cutaneous larval migrans, a very itchy skin migration. I will never forget one of the senior clinicians telling a story at my first job after graduation. He had somehow been asked to assist with a surprise puppy delivery in a seedy area of the city. He recalled that the area where the mother dog was struggling was covered in thick mud and that he was wearing really nice shoes. He took off his nice shoes and socks and waded into the mud barefoot because he wanted to help the dog but didn’t want to ruin his shoes. I remember his sheepish grin as he described the cutaneous larval migrans that the hookworms in that mud caused on his feet. Although less frequently than roundworms, hookworms can also result in organ migrations, which can be extremely dangerous.
Although I have damaged a few pairs of nice shoes, the lesson of this story is not that veterinarians should never wear nice shoes. It is that every dog should undergo careful and routine deworming. All animal lovers must keep in mind that moist soil can harbor parasites and that your dog is more at risk from the soil where he lives than from the dog himself. When gardening, wear gloves and shoes, and keep young children from putting dirt or other objects in their mouths.
How Contagious Is Hookworm from Dog to Human?
Because hookworms are zoonotic, they fall under the category of parasites that can infect both humans and animals.
Because dogs, cats, and other animals are accustomed to walking on contaminated ground, hookworms can easily infect them as well.
Dogs become infected when they play in or near animal feces that contain hookworms, and the situation may be worse if you have young puppies.
Here is a video demonstrating the grave risk posed by numerous parasite species and diseases that humans can catch from dogs:
Therefore, there are numerous ways for hookworms to spread from dogs to dog owners once they are infected.
When a dog defecates, they are contaminating the soil because their digestive system uses that as a way to get rid of adult hookworms and their eggs.
Hookworm larvae will enter your skin if you come into contact with contaminated soil that contains them and carry out their parasitic functions.
You should visit the hospital right away if you have children and discover that they have hookworm infection because it can cause blindness when it gets in the eyes.
You must quarantine or make arrangements to take infected dogs to the vet, especially young puppies who are most at risk because they have weakened immune systems. Hookworms are highly contagious from dogs to humans.
How do you get rid of worms in a dog without going to the vet?
6 Natural Ways to Treat and Prevent Worms
Will hookworms in humans go away on their own?
Cutaneous larva migrans eventually goes away on its own. However, because symptoms can last for up to 6 weeks, people are typically treated with ivermectin in a single dose or albendazole once daily for 3 or 7 days.
FAQ
Can I get hookworms if my dog licks me?
Dogs can lick humans and transmit parasites like giardia, hookworm, and roundworm. Salmonella can also be passed from your dog to you or the other way around.
How contagious is hookworm from dog to human?
Although humans are not infected by adult hookworms, the larvae can penetrate human skin (typically through bare feet). The worms do not become adults as a result and itch, commonly known as “ground itch,” before dying after a few weeks.
What are the signs of hookworms in humans?
A localized rash and itching are frequently the initial indicators of infection. These symptoms occur when the larvae penetrate the skin. A person with a light infection may have no symptoms. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia are common symptoms of a severe infection.
How likely is it to get worms from a dog licking you?
Similar to bacteria, fecal-oral infection is the main way that humans get sick. Pets that have licked their anus may have the ability to infect humans with parasite eggs when they lick their faces. This kind of infection is unlikely, save for the two single-celled parasites Giardia and Cryptosporidia.