Hidden Dangers of Dog Stroking

Stroking a dog could infect a child with a parasitic worm that leads to blindness, a Somerset-based veterinary surgeon says.

It had been assumed by vets that direct contact with dog faeces was needed to pass on the Toxocara Canis worm.

But the new research suggests it might be much simpler to pick up the parasite.
Ian Wright, a vet practising in Burnham-on-Sea, and colleague Alan Wolfe found that of 60 dogs they examined, 25% had Toxocara eggs in their fur.

Up to 180 eggs were discovered in a gram of dog hair - a much higher density than found in the soil.

A quarter of the 71 eggs analysed contained developing embryos, and three were mature enough to infect humans.

Therefore, beware of the "Hidden Dangers of Dog Stroking"