THERE ARE NO BARRIERS BETWEEN ANIMAL AND HUMAN HEALTH
Caring for pets is a great learning experience for children, teaching them respect, responsibility and gentleness. Like adults, children benefit from the companionship, affection and relationship they share with their pets. But the close proximity with pets might also be a risk for your family’s health: pets can transmit infections to humans, which is called zoonosis. Children are especially at risk. So, if you have a dog or a cat it's important to know how to protect all members of your family, furry or otherwise.
THE MOST COMMON INFECTION IS CAUSED BY ROUNDWORM1
- Most infections are caused by accidentally swallowing infective eggs.
- Droppings from untreated cats and dogs are the main source of infective eggs.
- Children can therefore be infected if they play in areas that have been contaminated by your pet’s poo ,such as sandboxes or soil.
1. Overgaauw PA. Aspects of Toxocara epidemiology: toxocarosis in dogs and cats. Crit Rev Microbiol. 1997; 23 (3): 233–51.