wightdogs.com ISLE of WIGHT DOGS and OWNERS

Toxocariasis is something that most people associate with dog poo, but it is equally possible to contract it from cat and fox poo, too.  No one worms foxes, and cats that go outside and kill are very hard to keep worm-free - but the dog seems to be much in need of Max Clifford's services, as it is always dog poo that is linked in the media to people going blind.

Warning! this next part is not for the squeamish.

To contact toxocariasis you have to ingest poo from a egg-sheding host; it must not be fresh and there needs to be other "ideal" enviromental factors in play to make it dangerous.  It would seem that the dangerous situation is while gardening or if kids play in uncovered sand pits - that would seem the most likely way to swallow the horrid stuff - by getting it under fingernails and not thoroughly washing hands.  As most dogs have not yet learned to bury their poos, the chance of eating affected dog poo by mistake is much less likely than cat poo.  If poo is picked up promptly and disposed of, it is of no risk to anyone.

There are many urban myths with the toxocariasis figures, too.  Some years ago, vet Bruce Fogle decided to approach all the hospitals in Britain to find out exactly how many people have gone blind due to this disease.  It certainly wasn't one a week - in fact, it was difficult to find any cases of people going blind from this cause.  Obviously, even one case is one too many.

A long time ago, a very damaging TV documentary on dog poo confused the statistic for cases of toxoplasmosis with toxacariasis and the figures have sadly been oft repeated since that time, confusing everyone. 

So what are the statistics?  In May last year, according to Hansard, the following question was asked in Parliament:

Mr Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reported cases of toxocariasis in humans there were in the last three years. (204904).

Dawn Primarolo: The number of toxocariasis cases repeated in the last three years in England and Wales is 2007 = 1; 2006 = 1; 2005 = 5.

So why do we all have such a fear of dog poo?  Archie (Archie BrydenPhD, retired microbiologist formerly with the Public Health Laboratory Service - now called the Health Protection Agency) continues in his 1990 report: "One reason for such variation is confusion of toxocariasis with toxoplasmosis casued by a different organism, Toxoplasma gondii, which also causes eye defects". 

Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular obilgate parasite (ie it can only feed on the living tissues of the host).  It is one of the commonest human parasites and has features in common with the pathogen that causes malaria.  Human domestic cats are the main source of infection.  Infectious oocysts are excreted by the cat for up to two weeks after the initial infection and can survive in warm, moist soil for more than one year.  Humans acquire infection from cats or from eating raw or undercooked meat from another intermediate host.  Pregnant women should avoid contact with cat litter and wear gloves with soil or sand". 

Again according to Hansard:

Mr Dorrell: Congential toxoplasmosis is not a notifiable disease, so comprehensive figures are not available.  However, reports of cases to the public health laboratory service from the Toxoplasma reference laboratories in England and Wales have averaged about 12 per year.  As a proportion of the number of conceptions (between 750,000 and 850,000 per annum over the past decade), the figure is minute.

I have to say that 12 people a year losing their babies sounds far too many!  Instead of spending money convertly filming people not cleaning up dog poo, couldn't councils leaflet people about the risk of handling litter trays when they are pregnant, eating poorly washed salad, and eating undercooked meat?  Now that might actually save lives!  It sounds as if soil is the problem and even if we shot every dog in Britain, there'd still be a real danger in eating dirt!

The above are extracts taken from an article in the July 2009 edition of the Dogs Today Magazine there is a lot more on this subject including an expert opinion from the aforementioned Archie Bryden. 

Many thanks for such a concise analysis Debbiemouse.

I had been intending to track down and compile the factual information from the net on Toxocariasis, which will now not be necessary.

Clear, concise and informative...a revelation.

An interesting article showing how the statistics of “dog attacks” are manipulated to back up the anti-dog lobby

http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/394/dog-bite-statistics-are-we-being-lied-to-by-politicians-with-a-hidden-dangerous-dog-agenda/

Toxocariasis is very rare.

There are approximately two cases each year due to infection per million people. On the rare occasions when human infection occurs, it usually causes mild, flu-like symptoms. Toxocara antibodies are present in fewer than two in 100 healthy adults in theUK who have previously been exposed to infection with no ill effects.

Further facts on toxocariasis can be found here on the Dogs Trust website http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/f/fouling%28poo%29/toxocariasis.aspx#.T61RzlJroao

Although I dont think that the anti-dog brigade and the majority of the mainstream media are particularly interested in the facts when it comes to toxocariasis.