Roundworm eggs are passed in the poop of infected cats and other wildlife and can lay dormant in soil, sand pits and litter boxes. These eggs can then spread to other cats if ingested while sniffing around in infected soil, plants or stool.
How long are roundworms contagious in cats?
"In suitable environments, the eggs may remain infective to humans and cats for years." As many as 10,000 cases of roundworm infection in humans have been reported in one year in the United States.
Can roundworms be passed from cat to cat?
Roundworms are free-living in the intestines. Roundworms do not require an intermediate host to spread from cat to cat, but can be transmitted by ingesting the eggs that are passed in the feces of an infected cat.
Can cats pass roundworms to each other?
The two common roundworms of cats are called, Toxocara cati and Toxascaris leonina. Eggs from these worms are passed in the faeces and can remain viable in the environment for several years. These eggs can infect other cats in two ways.
Can I get roundworms from touching my cat?
Roundworm infection, or toxocariasis, is a zoonotic disease — a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Dogs and cats are the definitive hosts for the roundworm species that commonly cause human disease.
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