What You Should Know About Heartworm
Heartworms are transmitted to dogs by mosquitos. Without the administration of a heartworm preventative, your pet could get heartworm disease – a potentially deadly illness of the heart and lungs.
- The American Heartworm Society estimates that at any one time, over 1 million dogs are infected with adult heartworms in the US.
- Mosquitoes transmit immature heartworms from infected dogs to healthy dogs.
- Heartworms live in the heart and lungs of infected dogs. Left untreated, heartworm disease may be fatal to your dog.
- Some common signs of heartworm infection in dogs include coughing, difficulty breathing and sluggishness. Recently infected dogs may show no signs of the disease.
- Other carriers of heartworm disease include wolves, foxes, ferrets and coyote.
Roundworms
How can people get roundworms?
- Accidentally ingesting the worms’ eggs in soil
- Bringing their hands to their mouths after touching contaminated soil or objects.
- Since humans are not natural hosts for roundworms, they migrate throughout the body, doing damage as they go.
- They may damage the liver, heart or lungs, and can even prove fatal if they infect the heart or brain.
- They can cause impaired sight or vision.
- Roundworm infection is estimated by the CDC to be in excess of 10,000 cases per year in the U.S. alone.
How can people get hookworms?
- Penetrating the body directly through the skin
- Accidentally ingesting along with infective soil
- Bringing their hands to their mouths after touching contaminated soil or objects
- Since humans are not natural hosts for hookworms, they migrate throughout the body, doing damage as they go.
- They migrate just under the skin, causing unsightly rashes, eruptions and itching.
- They may also go deeper into the body, inflaming internal organs.
- Nearly three out of every four pediatrician reports having seen cases of children with parasitic infections.
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