Some other common intestinal parasites seen in cats include roundworms, tapeworms, coccidia, and Giardia. Intestinal parasites are commonly referred to as worms.Īdult hookworms are small parasites (about 1/8th of an inch long) that live in the cat’s intestinal tract in the small intestines where they suck blood from the cat. Soap and water is best, but if you don’t have access to soap and running water, it can help prevent parasitic worm infection.Hookworms are just one type of gastrointestinal parasite (tiny organisms that live in your cat’s gastrointestinal tract, causing adverse health effects). That’s when you should be extra vigilant. It’s more difficult to prevent parasitic worm infection when you’re traveling to foreign countries, especially in regions where sanitation is a problem. after touching an animal or animal waste.after changing a diaper or caring for someone who’s sick.Don’t walk barefoot in places where soil may be contaminated by feces.Īlso be sure to give your hands a good scrubbing with soap and water at these times:.Don’t eat watercress or other freshwater plants raw.Disinfect all cutting boards, utensils, and countertops that touched raw meat.Avoid cross-contamination during food prep by keeping meat separate from other foods.Never eat raw or undercooked meat, fish, or poultry.The following tips can often help prevent parasitic worm infection: As they reproduce, those larvae can travel outside the intestines into muscle and other tissue. The most common way humans get trichinosis is by eating undercooked meat that contains the larvae. Trichinosis roundworms are passed among animals. However, these articles note that the symptoms of an intestinal parasite infection may mimic symptoms one would see in acute appendicitis, although appendicitis may or may not actually be occurring. One journal article found pinworms to be a rare cause of acute appendicitis.Īnother journal article noted that pinworms in the tissues of a surgically removed appendix are an infrequent finding, and researchers also state that parasite infections only rarely cause acute appendicitis. They’re easily passed among children and caregivers or in institutions.Īlthough pinworm infections are usually harmless and easily treatable, there have been less common cases of pinworms in the appendix that, when present, are usually in children and rarely in adults. The eggs are so small you can even breathe them in if they become airborne. People contract them when they touch the eggs and end up putting them in their mouths. The eggs can survive on bedding, clothing, and other materials. The female lays eggs around the anus, usually during the night. These roundworms, when fully matured, live in the colon and rectum. Pinworms are tiny, fairly harmless worms. Hookworms live in the small intestine, where they attach themselves to the intestinal wall with a “hook.” They’re usually less than half an inch long. The most common way to make contact with this type of roundworm is to walk barefoot on soil infested with hookworm larvae. Hookworms are transmitted through feces and contaminated soil. None reach more than a few inches in length. They make their home in your intestines, blood, or tissues. You can also get them when you drink contaminated water. Raw watercress and other freshwater plants are the main sources of flukes in humans. People are less likely than animals to contract flukes. They can grow up to 80 feet long and live in a human for up to 30 years. From there, certain types of tapeworms can produce eggs that mature into larvae that migrate to other parts of the body.Ī tapeworm looks like a long, white ribbon. Tapeworms embed their heads into the intestinal wall and remain there. Raw or undercooked meat is another way tapeworms can find their way into people. You can get a tapeworm, which is a type of flatworm, by drinking water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. They aren’t always visible to the naked eye. These two types of parasitic worms can be found in a variety of habitats. When it comes to parasitic infection, flatworms and roundworms are likely culprits.
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