How Infective Are Roundworm Eggs *really*?

[punkrockkitty]

Hi all, first time post here. Been reading just about everything I came across on Google regarding how infective roundworm eggs/larvae are to us humans, and since there's so many conflicting opinions, I thought I'd come around here and ask as well

So, I adopted 2 kitties recently from two separate litters. The first one came about a month ago - she was 3 1/2 months old and already had her three rounds of vaccines. They also gave her 2 rounds of Milbemax and 1 round of Revolution, so technically, she was good to go.

The second one came 2 weeks later and we noticed that his belly was really swollen (like really swollen!). He was about to be 2 months old, but hadn't had his first vet visit - so no vaccines yet, but, a shot of Revolution had supposedly been given to him at around 6 weeks of age. When he first arrived, upon seeing his swollen belly, we suspected worms, so we put him in our bathroom - so no contact was made between the two. His first vet visit was scheduled for the next day. The vet said, yeah, he probably has worms - most kitties do, so a Milbemax was given to him that day AND to the older kitty for precaution. We continued the quarantine and the next day, lo and behold, 6 dead roundworms came out in the litter of the little one (the other one was fine).

Now, I've had 7 cats in my life and all were dewormed as should be, but I've never SEEN the worms actually come out like I have this time with this little guy! And yes, I will admit, I'm an OCD case, so quite a bit of freaking out was had after this discovery.

Long story short, we kept him in the bathroom for a week until he met his big sister. In between each bathroom visit, tons of hand washing was done (tons!), but once he was out and about, those two were all over the place - beds, sofas, small carpets, etc.

I called around a bunch of vets in town and all seemed to think it was no big deal, as long as hand washing was done when handling the litter. When asking about beddings and sofas, they all seemed to think I was over-reacting and that the only way I could come into contact with larvae was to forget to wash my hands after cleaning the litter and putting my hands directly in my mouth, or by licking my sheets... Obviously, I won't be licking my sheets (or my hands after littler cleaning!), but, what do you guys think? How long can eggs actually survive in the environment? I know they need a host and cats are a preferable host than humans, but can they stick to certain surfaces waiting and waiting and waiting...? Like if the cats go to the litter, then walk on a table - how realistic is that for infection?

The little one is due for his second round of Milbemax next week (or his third if we believe that he actually had a shot of Revolution at 6 weeks of age), but in the meantime, any advice would be appreciated! Thanks)

 

[Espalia]

So, I understand the concern because I am a bit of germophobe and parasites count as “germs” in my book. Unfortunately roundworm eggs can survive for years in the right conditions (soil, so a house is more harsh) - but the eggs need 2-4 weeks to become infective so if you clean the litter box regularly you should be fine. Round worms are really not something you should worry too much about. It’s most commonly passed from cats to children, who out more things in their mouths and are more likely to ingest the eggs.

In general, adult human immune systems will kill off round worms before they have the chance to infect you, and often you must ingest “soil” (or litter) with eggs in it, which is why children are susceptible - you aren’t going to accidentally get like one egg that was stuck to your kittens foot, transferred to the table then miraculously transferred to the end of your spoon while you eat. If your cats had diarrhea and stepped in their poop then tracked it onto your table, that would be a cause for concern. Washing your hands before you eat and being fastidious about litter box cleanliness is the best way to combat infection. If you’re really serious about out it, you can clean the litter boxes out with bleach once a week (there are people on this forum who do it...but in a way this increases your exposure to the litter?). Also, take solace in the fact that puppies and kittens are all infected by roundworms because it is passed on by the mothers milk, not by ingesting eggs in the environment. Roundworms migrate through the body during their lifecycle, and some larvae encyst in the mother. They only start developing when the cat is stressed (the end of pregnancy is a stressful time). Because all the kittens are infected, some larvae will encyst in the female kittens and the cycle is perpetuated forever - there is no way to break it because encysted larvae cannot be killed by medication. That is why virtually all kittens need to be dewormed.

 

[punkrockkitty]

Thanks for the reassurance and details, Espalia, much appreciated! I scoop out the litter twice a day, but haven't yet cleaned it out with bleach. I figured since I'm still waiting for the second round of Milbemax to properly kill off what's left, what's the point? I'd have to practically clean it out and bleach it every day, and that's definitely not something I wanna be doing... I need to be controlling my OCD somehow

Would you say it's pretty safe when it comes to fabrics, sofas, etc. though? I read a few posts where people concerned about their carpets were steam-cleaning to kill the eggs (I only have hardwood floors) - but what about sheets? Would this be a case of having to drag their poop directly onto the sheets too for it to be a real concern?

 

[Espalia]

Yeah, I deep clean my litter box liners about once a month. Not with bleach because I think it’s toxic to cats? Just super hot water and vinegar with soap.

I think it’s pretty safe in terms of the furniture. When your cats have parasites I would just wash your sheets in hot water with some vinegar added to the detergent and dry in the hottest cycle about once a week. I vacuum my couch and my carpets once a week. Clean your floors with a good wood cleaner once a week. If you have potted plants, keep them out of reach of your cats.
I think it’s pretty accurate to say that unless poop is getting on a surface, the chance of infection is almost zero. The parasites infect cats and dogs because cats lick their butts (i.e. little pieces of poop) after using the litter and lick their paws after walking around in soil and dogs will literally eat poop and soil. Cats also eat other things with parasites - like rats. Humans tend not to do any of those things, that’s why we tend not to get infected by roundworms. If you’re not a vegetarian, your highest chance of getting infected by a parasite probably comes from eating undercooked meat, not from your cats. Wash your hands before you eat, don’t make mouth-contact with your cat (as in, don’t kiss their faces), especially while they are being treated for parasites, keep your home generally clean and you will be fine. Also stay healthy - don’t let the stress make you sick and weaken your immune system.

 

[punkrockkitty]

Amazing, thanks again for the info! Sounds like we pretty much have the same cleaning routine
Also, I am vegetarian, so, ha. One less stress.

Well, he got his second round of dewormer this morning, so here's crossing my fingers that all of this is soon behind us!

Cheers