toxocara canis

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'Dogs are Dirty' Debate with Jilly Cooper, LBC 1977

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Back in 1977 we published in Seed Magazine the Journal of Organic LIving, an article about worms and disease. Dogs were mentioned as a vector for toxocara canis, which can be particularly devastating for children, who catch it from dog poo.  

LBC, the london radio station, invited me to a debate with Jilly Cooper that they entitled ‘Dogs are Dirty’ - listen below. Jilly stood up for dog owners and I made my points and suggested (at a time when no dog owner would dream of cleaning up  their dog’s poo) that owners should clean up any mess that their dogs left on the streets or in parks.

Jilly Cooper make a brave defense of dog owners and then the line was opened to callers, many of whom were quite abusive, including one who suggested I should ‘go back where I came from’ if I didn’t like dog shit on the pavements in England. That was 1977.  It is now rare to see dog poo anywhere as most owners are conscientious about cleaning up behind their dogs.  It may have taken 50 years or so to get to this point, but a lof of kids and adults who would have suffered from toxocariasis have been spared the following side effects

Visceral Larva Migrans (VLM)

This occurs when larvae invade internal organs (liver, lungs, heart). It primarily affects young children and causes the following side effects: 

  • Respiratory: Coughing, wheezing, and asthma-like breathing difficulties.

  • General: Fever, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

  • Abdominal: Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and an enlarged liver or spleen.

  • Skin & Immune: Itchy rashes, hives (urticaria), swollen lymph nodes, and a high count of a specific white blood cell type (eosinophilia).

  • Ocular Larva Migrans (OLM)

This occurs when larvae travel to the eye, most often causing unilateral (one-sided) damage. Symptoms include:

  • Vision loss or impairment (blurry or cloudy vision).

  • Eye inflammation, redness, or eye pain.

  • Conditions like retinal granulomas or retinal detachment.

  • If left untreated, it can cause permanent blindness in the affected eye. 

Covert and Neurotoxocariasis

  • Covert Toxocariasis: Milder, non-specific symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, behavioural issues, and muscle or limb pains.

  • Neurotoxocariasis: A rare but severe complication when larvae cross the blood-brain barrier. Side effects include symptoms of meningitis, encephalitis, or sudden mental confusion. 

These diseases can all be dealt with by medical intervention, but prevention is, as always, the best cure. That starts with a little plastic bag that dog owners carry in order to easily clear up their dog’s poo.

'Dogs are Dirty' debate with Jilly Cooper, LBC 1977

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