Can You Get a Roundworm Infection From Your Dog?

Roundworms are a type of parasite that can infect your gut. There are several types of roundworms. There’s the human roundworm (Ascaris), dog roundworm (Toxocara canis), and cat roundworm (Toxacara cati). 

Specific species of roundworms prefer their specific hosts. Toxocara canis can only reproduce in dogs. But dog roundworms can sometimes infect other types of animals. Rabbits, rodents, and other wild animals can also accidentally get sick with dog roundworms. 

It’s not just small, wild animals that can pick up dog roundworms. Humans — especially pet owners — can get infected too. Here’s what to know about how humans can get roundworms from dogs. 

Can humans get roundworms from dogs?

Yes, humans can get roundworms from dogs. Roundworm infections are common in dogs. But puppies are at the highest risk for getting sick and spreading roundworm.

Toxacara canis can infect older dogs, but the young worms usually stop growing before they lay eggs. When female dogs get pregnant, the worms wake up and start growing. Puppies can be born with roundworm infections or pick up the parasite while nursing. Roundworms mature in a puppy’s intestines and produce eggs. The eggs pass out of the puppy’s body through its stool. Then, these eggs pass into the soil when a puppy poops. 

Pets, wild animals, and even humans can accidentally ingest roundworm eggs when they come in contact with dog poop or contaminated soil. And accidentally ingesting parasite eggs is a lot easier than it sounds. 

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Take, for example, a pet owner cleaning up dog poop in their yard. They may accidentally touch their face in between pick-ups before washing their hands. Even if they didn’t directly touch the poop, tiny particles of the poop may still be on their hands, and those particles can make it into the mouth. The particles may be too small to see with the naked eye, but they can contain roundworm eggs. And now those eggs are inside that person’s body.

Dog poop can contain a lot of roundworm eggs, which can end up in nearby water and dirt. So even if you don’t directly touch dog poop, you can still come in contact with roundworm eggs. You might come in contact with eggs during gardening or while retrieving a toy out of a puddle. When you do this, eggs get on your hands, and you might ingest them if you touch your face before washing your hands. 

Children are even more likely to accidentally ingest roundworm eggs. Kids are more likely to play in the dirt or touch soil while playing outdoors. They also may play with toys and sports equipment that were left in the yard. Both the soil and the toys may be contaminated with eggs. Children may then touch their faces or eat before washing their hands. This can lead to accidental egg ingestion.

How else do humans get roundworm infections?

Humans usually get dog roundworms from accidentally ingesting roundworm eggs. But it’s also possible to get dog roundworms from food.

Humans have gotten dog roundworms by eating undercooked meat contaminated with dog roundworms. This is typically a problem with wild game, like rabbit or duck.

Roundworms can’t spread from person to person like a cold or flu. 

What do roundworms do to the body?

People usually recover on their own from a roundworm infection without any treatment. That’s because dog roundworms aren’t supposed to live inside people. 

But dog roundworms can affect your health. Some people do get sick if they get a dog roundworm infection. Dog roundworms can enter other organs in your body like your eye, lungs, and liver. Once inside these organs, dog roundworms can cause inflammation and long-lasting organ damage.

What are the symptoms of roundworm infections?

Most people who get sick with dog roundworms don’t have any symptoms. But if roundworms cause inflammation inside an organ, you may experience symptoms like:

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Stomach pain

• Bloating

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Wheezing

• Cough

• Hives

• Vision changes

Some of these symptoms may improve with treatment. But other symptoms may continue — or get worse — even with treatment. 

How do you treat roundworm infections?

There are very effective treatments for dog roundworms. Humans who get sick with dog roundworms may not need treatment. But treatment is available if you develop symptoms or complications from the infection. Medications that can treat dog roundworm infections in humans include:

• Albendazole

• Mebendazole (Emverm)

It’s also important to get your dogs treated for roundworms. This’ll keep your dog healthy and keep you safe from roundworm infections.

What can you do to prevent roundworm infections?

There are things that you can do to help protect yourself and your pet from dog roundworms:

• Get your dog treated for roundworm infections.

• Have your dog’s stool checked for worms on a regular basis.

• Give your dog a monthly anti-parasite medication.

• Pick up dog poop regularly.

• Wear gloves when gardening or working with sand or soil.

• Wash your hands and clothes after working outdoors.

• Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.

• Don’t let children play in areas where animals poop.

These steps can help prevent any roundworm infection in both humans and dogs. 

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Written by:

Meredith Grace Merkley, DO, FAAP

Dr. Merkley is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician who has over a decade of experience working in community health. She is currently a National Health Services Corp scholar, and is serving as the medical director of a school-based health clinic at a federally funded health center.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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