Children and Parasites: Any discussion about parasites, pets and parasite prevention/contol should include information about preventing transmission of parasites from pets to children.

Because children typically don't have the best personal hygiene and often have much closer contact with their pets than adults they are at higher risk for a number of parasites. Pet owners have a responsibility to ensure there pets are free of parasites and receive regular parasite control. Parents have a responsibilty to educating there children about hygiene in regards to animals.

Did you know one of the reasons commercially made sand boxes now have covers is because outdoor cats treat them as luxurious litter boxes, "depositing" roundworms eggs and larvae which can potentially infest the children that play in them?

A zoonotic disease is any disease, including parasites, which can be transmitted from animals to humans.      http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/index.htm                                                                                              http://www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?title=Diseases_Transmitted_by_Pets

Ocular larval migrans, visceral larval migrans, cutaneous larval migrans, and flea tapeworms, occur in children http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/toxocariasis.htm                                                 http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/health_professionals/ 

"Infants and Young Children"-animal safety tips http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/child.htm   

"Who is uniquely susceptible to parasites transmitted by dogs and cats?"                                                                                          http://www.capcvet.org/expert-articles/who-is-uniquely-susceptible-to-parasites-transmitted-by-dogs-and-cats/