By Dr. Amna Plummer, Critter Care Animal Hospital

Pets have become an integral part of our lives. As this companionship grows, so does the exposure to potential zootonic diseases. Dog parks, doggy daycares and social events have increased the socialization of our four-legged friends and therefore, the potential risk for exposure. 

Hookworms and roundworms are worms that are transmitted to animals by their mother’s milk during suckling, delivery and by fecal-oral contamination (ingestion of the egg laid in the environment). Humans become infected with hookworms when the larva penetrates the intact skin. Since we are an unnatural host, the larva never make it to the intestines to become blood-sucking adults. Instead, they just move around a bit under the skin, die and cause a nasty inflammatory reaction that is called “cutaneous larva migrans”. 

Roundworms can migrate to the eyes of humans. The roundworm larva gets trapped in the optic disc behind the retina of the eye and a granuloma forms, which can cause blindness. This is called “ocular larva migrans”. Tapeworms are transmitted to both animals and humans by ingestion of fleas.

Giardia cysts are shed in the feces of an infected animal. Both people and pets can ingest the cyst, which become infected shortly after being expelled, either from contaminated feces, food or water. The Giardia vaccine has been proven to decrease shedding of the protozoa in vaccinated animals.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial organism that affects the liver and renal organs of both dogs and humans. This organism is is encountered through contaminated water. Contact with urine of infected animals is another way that humans can become infected. A Leptospirosis vaccine is available for dogs.

Most healthy pets and people are able to fight off diseases with minimum difficulty but those who are on immunosuppressive  drugs or who have immunosuppressive viruses are less resistant to these types of infectious diseases.

Most of these can be prevented with general sanitation, annual vaccines and a monthly intestinal and flea preventative. Check with your veterinarian to make sure that your pet is protected because if they are, you are.

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