can my children get worms from a dog?

Question

my sister has a little dog and she has worms (the dog not my sister) i'm worried my 2 boys might get them. can they get worms from the dog or no?

Answer 1

It depends on what type of worms the dog has, some are contagious to people but some aren't. However, if your children wash their hands when they are done playing with the dog then they won't be at risk.
I'm a vet tech, and have done stray rescue for more than 10 years. I have come into contact with every type of worm known to man and have never been infected with them.

Answer 2

Here's an exerpt from an article about heartworm, which is a common parsite in dogs. "The dog heartworm is a negligible public health risk, because it is unusual for humans to become infected. Additionally, human infections usually are of little or no consequence, although rarely an infected human may show signs of respiratory disease. In most cases, however, the heartworm dies shortly after arriving in the human lung, and a nodule, known as a granuloma, forms around the dead worm as it is being killed and absorbed. If an infected person happens to have a chest X-ray at that time, the granuloma may resemble lung cancer on the X-ray and require a biopsy to rule out the life threatening condition. This may well be the most significant medical consequence of human infection by the dog heartworm. At one time it was thought that the dog heartworm infected the human eye, with most cases reported from the southeastern United States. However, these cases are now known to be caused by a closely-related parasite of raccoons, Dirofilaria tenuis. Several hundred cases of subcutaneous (under the skin) infections in humans have been reported in Europe, but these are almost always caused by another closely-related parasite, Dirofilaria repens, rather than the dog heartworm."

Answer 3

The honest answer....Yes. However, they are very easily treated. The best way to avoid worms is to prevent them in the dog, but seeing as it is your sister's dog, have your kids wash their hands well before they eat and after they play with the dog. This should prevent them from contracting them as well!

Answer 4

Not easily. Most animals pick up worms from each others fecies, so if the kids are outside on the lawn playing and eating the grass (or other matter ) then it is a possiblility. I wouldn't worry about it unless the kids like to eat crap.

Answer 5

Depends on the types of worms, but yes worms can be transmitted to humans. Tapeworms, Hookworms, Pinworms can all be transmitted. It's not that common but it does happen.

Answer 6

yes, and some of the parasites of dogs and cats are very bad for people. Don't play or let anybodt play with the dog and get it dewormed. Deworming is just an easy dose of medicine, not even expensive.

Answer 7

you can get worms from any animal just be sure that they dont put their fingers near their face untill they have scrubed their hands.

Answer 8

i'd ask a vet. it is somewhat possible in some instances or so i have heard.

Answer 9

Yes they can so you need to be careful with that.

Answer 10

yes but not easy