My dog has worm eggs on the fur and I played with him. I washed my hands with soap and immediately touched my mouth without rinsing the soap off. Is this bad?
Answer
Dear Annelies,
Actually, the vet is best placed to answer your question.
A worm from a dog can indeed pass to humans and cause humans to become ill.
The only real good solution is to deworm your dog.
The worms are not so easy to combat in humans. Disinfectants and soaps are not 100% effective at stopping them. So even if you rinsed your hands with water, you still run the risk of contamination.
A bacterium is a completely different type of micro-organism and in most cases you can treat it more easily, namely with antibiotics.
In conclusion: washing hands is certainly the message, but in case of worms it is better to tackle the source and have the dog dewormed at the vet. If you are concerned for yourself, it is best to contact your doctor.
Best regards,
Els Van Mechelen
Answered by
dr. Els Van Mechelen
molecular biology infections
Jozef Kluyskensstraat 2 B-9000 Ghent
http://www.hogent.be/
.