Toxocariasis and Dog Faeces

TelePaul

Saw the following this morning and think it's just awful:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Dog-Mess-Toddler-May-Lose-Eye-Amiee-Langdon-Infected-At-Playground-In-Fallowfield-Manchester/Article/201008315696476?lpos=UK_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15696476_Dog_Mess%2C_Toddler_May_Lose_Eye%3A_Amiee_Langdon_Infected_At_Playground_In_Fallowfield%2C_Manchester

I love dogs and the vast majority of owners I've spoken with has struck me as responsible and considerate - especially the Boardsies. But it really is a shame that certain people will let their pets do this kind of thing - at best, it's an unsanitary inconvenience but its worst, it can cause blindness and death. Please, please, please remember to clean up after your dog.

anniehoo

While Toxacariasis does exist that article is flawed. It is not a common disease and it is not transmitted by a child just rubbing its eye. Toxocara eggs have to be ingested i.e eat the faeces or contaminated soil.

The blindness that "can" result is called Ocular larval migrans or Visceral larval migrans. Teach your kids not to put their hands in their mouths if theyve been playing on grass/sand pit and its pretty much avoidable.

Worth reading to get the proper facts -link

TelePaul

anniehoo wrote: »

While Toxacariasis does exist that article is flawed. It is not a common disease and it is not transmitted by a child just rubbing its eye. Toxocara eggs have to be ingested i.e eat the faeces or contaminated soil.

The blindness that "can" result is called Ocular larval migrans or Visceral larval migrans. Teach your kids not to put their hands in their mouths if theyve been playing on grass/sand pit and its pretty much avoidable.

Worth reading to get the proper facts -link

Proper facts? Here's one - a young girl could loser her sight because someone didn't clean up after their dog. Whether that's because faeces was ingested/touched is largely irrelevant, if it wasn't their in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. I think I was pretty fair when pointing out the majority of dog owners are responsible but it doesn't change the reality of things. Besides, one-year-olds don't exactly take specific instruction all that well.

anniehoo

TelePaul wrote: »

Proper facts? Here's one - a young girl could loser her sight because someone didn't clean up after their dog..

Eh before you start posting sensationalist stories, yes you need to get your facts right. Where in the article does it say it was an irresponsible dog owner? Toxacariasis can be contracted from cat and fox faeces aswell. Stray dogs also-thought of that?

That article while highlights the importance of potential zoonotic diseases for kids, it will create panic if a child suddenly rubs their eye and gets soil in it. IT CANT BE TRANSMITTED THAT WAY. Poor kid but that article is innacurate and alarmist so do your research before you post.

Cherry Blossom

Have to say sensationalist or not some years ago my cousin had a severe allegic reaction to Toxacariasis after comming into contact with cat faeces in his garden. His parents have never owned a cat, or any other pet for that matter. He started getting red blotches on his chest and back which spread and his whole body started to swell up, was rushed to A&E and while sitting in the waiting room started having difficulty breathing as his windpipe was closing up with the swelling. To be frank people should be able to let their kids play in their own garden without having to worry if some other idiot is keeping their pets under control or not.

EGAR

Zoonotic diseases are fairly uncommon to catch but it does happen. Weil's Disease in stagnant water, rat pee etc, Ringworm from cattle. I was driving back home from the groomer with Pippin when I heard it in the news (Galway Bay FM) and the same story as OP posted. I thought straight away, what a load of un-informed b****x and it will cause a panic and more dogs will be dumped by pregnant women and their partners.

Am completely with Anniehoo on that.

TelePaul

anniehoo wrote: »

Eh before you start posting sensationalist stories, yes you need to get your facts right. Where in the article does it say it was an irresponsible dog owner?

I think it's safe to assume a responsible dog owner would in fact clean up after their animal. Also, from the same article:

Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council wrote:

I hope this makes irresponsible dog owners understand the very real consequences of failing to pick up after their dogs.
Paul Andrews, Manchester City Council

anniehoo wrote: »

Toxacariasis can be contracted from cat and fox faeces aswell.

Good to know, though the article we're talking about makes explicit reference to dog faeces.

anniehoo wrote: »

Stray dogs also-thought of that?

How do you suppose stray dogs become stray? Irresponsible owners perhaps?

anniehoo wrote: »

That article while highlights the importance of potential zoonotic diseases for kids, it will create panic if a child suddenly rubs their eye and gets soil in it. IT CANT BE TRANSMITTED THAT WAY. Poor kid but that article is innacurate and alarmist so do your research before you post.

I don't really understand this need for me to 'do my research'. You can criticise the journalistic acumen of Sky news as much as you want, though as reported, a child is in danger of losing an eye because they came into contact with what has been reported to be dog faeces. Whether it was ingested or whether contact was made with the eyes is irrelevant. To intimate that this is somehow the fault of the child's parent for not better explaining the consequences of putting one's hand in one's mouth is is extremely unempathic given the circumstances.

Nobody is criticising dogs or responsible dog owners - I'm criticising irresponsible dog owners. The simple fact of the matter is that a small number of owners cannot or will not take full responsibility for a domesticated animal.

TelePaul

EGAR wrote: »

Zoonotic diseases are fairly uncommon to catch but it does happen. Weil's Disease in stagnant water, rat pee etc, Ringworm from cattle. I was driving back home from the groomer with Pippin when I heard it in the news (Galway Bay FM) and the same story as OP posted. I thought straight away, what a load of un-informed b****x and it will cause a panic and more dogs will be dumped by pregnant women and their partners.

Am completely with Anniehoo on that.

I appreciate that there are a variety of methods by which these contagions and those like it can spread, but that doesn't somehow nullify the potential for contamination via dog faeces. Yep, farmers should be responsible for their cattle and I'd feel the same way if a member of the public became infected by ringworm. On the other hand, I imagine instances of Leptospirosis in domesticated rats are extremely low. But again, I posted this upon reading a news article which reported a case of infection via dog faeces.

TelePaul

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

To be frank people should be able to let their kids play in their own garden without having to worry if some other idiot is keeping their pets under control or not.

I think that's what it comes down to. I think I've managed to upset one poster, but I had hoped to be clear from the outset that a great many dog owners are extremely responsible and are mindful of both their pets and other members of the public. At the risk of being accused of hyperbole, those who drive drunk can't be thought to give all drivers a bad name though it doesn't change the fact their actions can have serious consequences. That's the only point I had wanted to make.

anniehoo

TelePaul wrote: »

I don't really understand this need for me to 'do my research'.

Seriously? You really need me to explain whats wrong with posting a factually incorrect and vague article like that?

wrote:

Whether it was ingested or whether contact was made with the eyes is irrelevant.

So the transmission of any zoonotic disease is irrelevant then? Sure why bother learning anything about medical conditions and their pathogenesis if it can be just made up so. :rolleyes:

wrote:

To intimate that this is somehow the fault of the child's parent for not better explaining

No i didnt, i simply said it can be prevented by teaching your child not to put their hands in their mouth after playing in dirt.

Im also not unempathetic to the childs situation. Its awful and is a very real and potentially serious disease. I only wish you'd presented THE FACTS instead of that tripe.

TelePaul

anniehoo wrote: »

Seriously? You really need me to explain whats wrong with posting a factually incorrect and vague article like that?

Well you're saying it's factually incorrect in that disease cannot be spread by contact with the eyes right. Yet we're agreed that it can be spread by ingestion, but we differ on whether this in fact relevant or not to the matter at hand. I don't believe that it is. I think we're both agreed on that it was entirely possible that this disease can be passed by dog faeces, and given that this is what was reported by those investigating, this would appear likely as opposed to plausible. Occam's razor and all that jazz.

anniehoo wrote: »

So the transmission of any zoonotic disease is irrelevant then? Sure why bother learning anything about medical conditions and their pathogenesis if it can be just made up so. :rolleyes:

Irrelevant. Again, see above.

anniehoo wrote: »

No i didnt, i simply said it can be prevented by teaching your child not to put their hands in their mouth after playing in dirt.

Or by cleaning up after your dog. My turn: :rolleyes: (Damn it! I had refrained from tit-for-tat condescension, capitalisation and annoying emoticons for so long - ah well, we all have a breaking point)

anniehoo wrote: »

Im also not unempathetic to the childs situation. Its awful and is a very real and potentially serious disease. I only wish you'd presented THE FACTS instead of that tripe.

Well I hadn't thought about till I was informed by the media, whose job it is to present the news. If it'll please you - and prevent further abuses against capitalisation - let me include the following:

TelePaul's Announcement wrote:

Dog owners: Toxocariasis is an infection that can be passed from dogs to humans through canine faeces. It can cause blindness and death. Please remember to clean up after your dog.

I think that's factually correct and avoids any arguments as to the merits of Sky News' endeavours. All I wanted to say from the outset, though I thought it pertinent to include the article - you can think of it as my inspiration if you like.

anniehoo

TelePaul wrote: »

If it'll please you -

Itd please me if you'd add the word "ingestion" into your little announcement and then we're quits

wrote:

Originally Posted by TelePaul's Announcement
Dog owners: Toxocariasis is an infection that can be passed from dogs to humans through INGESTION of canine faeces. It can cause blindness and death. Please remember to clean up after your dog.