Can cats pass worms to humans? Yes, is the answer but unusually.
Roundworms
The name for roundworms is ‘ascarids’. Ascarids can cause a disease in humans. It is called visceral larva migrans. It is one of the top zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are those that can pass from animal to human and vice versa. The dog is most likely to pass this diseases to people through the ascarid called Toxocara canis. However, Toxocara cati can also cause the disease (the feline version). It seems it is more likely to occur in areas where the climate is mild and in respect of kids. Some kids eat dirt and ingest the parasite. Outdoor sandboxes are a potential source of transmission. They should be covered when not being used by kids. When gardening, gloves should be worn.
When a person eats a roundworm the larva does not develop into an adult but migrates in the tissue causing fever and other illnesses. The larva can make its way to the child’s eye causing the loss of the eye. The disease in people lasts about one year.
Tapeworm
Unusually, a child could eat a flea from a housecat. Cat fleas eat tapeworm segments and egg packets in the cat’s stool. The tapeworm is then passed to the child. The cat will eat the fleas too and ingest the immature tapeworms. The chances of a child getting a tapeworm from the family cat is very small.
Hookworm
Hookworm larvae in soil penetrate the skin of a person and then travel throughout the body. The symptoms are lumps, streaks beneath the skin with itching. The condition is called ‘ground itch’ – cutaneous larval migrans.
Whipworms
Whipworms are apparently quite rare in cats. The cat can ingest eggs in water or food contaminated with these worms. The worm’s eggs can be passed in cat feces but care needs to be exercised to diagnose the correct parasite. Most often people are infected with the human version of this worm.
There are many articles on worms on this website. Please use the custom search. Please click this link to read about deworming treatments.
Note: I have never even given a thought to the possibility of getting worms from my cats. I am sure most people are like me. Cat deworming treatments are common and it is standard practice to deworm a cat. Rescue centers do it routinely, for instance.
Thanks for the info Barb <3
It’s very similar in India where my vet here is from. They learned first about farm animals then had to specialize in domestic species.
I’m sad to say that there is a lot of cat abuse here as well. It might not be as out front as it is in Pakistan but it exists here as well. I rescue cats all the time from neglect situations. Only last week I got a kitten who was almost starved to death by someone mentally unstable. Sadly despite my efforts I was unable to save her but her two siblings are doing well!
We need cat advocates all over the world. Those that not only speak on behalf of cats but who also spread correct information about them. I see far too much information online about cats that is simply wrong. This I find the most frustrating.
Thanks so much Michael! I’m new to this type of forum so I didn’t realize that I shouldn’t add links.
The cat over-population is at a crisis level in all parts of the world and what I find most frustrating is that most people don’t give a rats behind. So, when I come across someone who does care, I’d be happy to help them any way that I can. 🙂
It’s safe to say that 99% or all of the cats who live outdoors have some sort of intestinal parasite. So, when I rescue a cat, they automatically get flea medication and are dewormed within the first hour. The most obvious signs that a cat has worms is that they have chronic diarrhea or bloody diarrhea. There are so many possible reasons for an outside cat to have diarrhea it’s hard to pin point it unless you can get up close to them or they are in a kennel so you can control what they are eating. Cats have sensitive digestive systems and if they are having to survive on the streets they could be eating any garbage which will cause all kinds of digestive issues.
I don’t know how much you know about a cat’s diet but did you know that most cats are lactose intolerant? This means that they can’t have cows milk or any product which contains cows milk. If you are feeding kittens milk, definitely stop. Cats are true carnivores which means most of their diet must be meat protein.
Getting back to the worms…if fleas are a common problem that you see with the cats, you need to consider that about 25% or more of those cats will have Tape worm. Tape Worms are transmitted via fleas and can really mess up the digestive system of any mammal.
The medication that works for one type of worm will not necessarily work for the other type. So, as gross as this may sound, if you know or suspect that a cat has worms, you need to try and see which type they have. I am unfamiliar with which worms are most often seen in your part of the world, but it’s likely not that different from here. Round worms, Hook worms, Whip worms and Tape worms are the most common. All of these worms look physically very different and are quite easy to differentiate.
It’s not a matter of PRIDE MICHAEL my friend
I am ashamed of the so called moslem states that they have become beggars while they have full state resources. All the MOSLEM countries demand for MONEY from the WEST and I hate this attitude.
Even PAKIS GOVT>/ people demand for MONEY.
sorry MICHAEL! I am not leting you do this to me. I promise that I will make it for my self and give a proof to the whole WORLD that a single man alongwith his daughters can achieve this GOAL within his state and country and for this purpose we don’t need to beg any one.
MICHAEL you are a great man, A loving Cat owner but I am dealing with those FERAL cats who have forced to be Feral by actual FERAL MINDED people. So, let me fight this war of GOOD and BAD attitudes by my own. I can only report to your website what the updates are.
I am not a proud person. I am a servant of humanity and animals. But I need help only from my PAKISTANI brothers and sisters. The young generation who can better understand that we have to CHANGE our attitudes now and become number ONE by our own efforts and not by accepting HELP which makes us handicapped.
I have a good example of MOTHER TERESA.
And I hope that I can become FATHER AHSAN.
Love your feelings and care for you a lot <3
When I read about Pakistan veterinary services I realised they work with farmers and not companion animal owners. That is the impression I got. We would love to see a sanctuary for cats in Pakistan. Are there any already? You must let me help financially for that. Put away your pride.
I wonder if someone from America who runs a cat sanctuary would come out to meet you to help you build one?