ROUNDWORMS

 Reported by: JOAN MAGDADARO/MARVIN JORY TORRES

 What is ROUNDWORMS?

 Roundworms, also known as nematodes, are parasitic worms that comprise the phylum
nematode.This phylum is made up of at least 25,000 known species, and some scientists
believe the actual number could be much higher. They can be found everywhere,
including in topsoil and in the water. Many roundworms infect an organism’s intestine
to survive, just like the ones that were living in Charlie. Roundworms can infect humans,
cats, birds and many other types of animals.
 CHARACTERISTICS
 Some nematodes live in so many different in many ways. For example, roundworms in
environment with low food supply tend to be hermaphrodi they have both male and
female parts and so can self fertilize their eggs and carry them until they hatch. Other
nematodes reproduce sexually, meaning there are males and females, and both
participate in the production of offspring. But roundworms also have many shared
characteristics. All Nematodes:
 -are invertebrates, and many are microscopic
 -have an elongated, slender, snakelike shape
 -have a rigid but flexible cuticle outer layer
 -move with a whip-like motion
 -have a sense of touch and can deted light and certain chemicals
 -breathe across their whole body
 -obtain nutrients via diffusion
 TYPES

 While we couldn’t possibly discuss each of the thousants of identified roundworms, we

can talk about the most common types. The most famous nematodes are the ones that
cause infection, like the roundworms that infected Charlie.
 ROUNDWORMS

 Roundworms are member of Phylum Nematoda. Compared to flatworms,

roundworms also known as nematodes have long, cylindrical and slender
bodies.Some roundworms are free-living while others are parasites of animals and
plats. The free-living ones are important as they are decomposer in the soil in both
marine and freshwaters. A lot of them are found in decaying organic matter.
Parasitic roundworms can be found in moist tissues of plants and animals.
Heartworms for example can infect dogs and cats. Humans can be infected with
parasitic roundworms such as trichina worms, hookworms and the more common
pinworms and Ascaris affilicting children.
 A small worm with a long, round body that inside the bodies of people and animals.
 DOGROUNDWORMS
[Toxocara Canis]
-Roundworms are the most common of the parasitic worms found inside a dog.
Almost all dogs become infected with thenm at some time in their lives, usually as
puppies.Roundworms may be contracted in different ways, making them easy to
spread and hard to control.

-Your dog may be infected with roundworms from the time it is born because ofter
the mother passes the worms to the puppy while it is still in her body. Roundworms can
also develop in a puppy after it is born when the puppy eats larvated eggs from the
environment or drinks worms larvae [young worms] in the mother’s milk. Another way
roundworms are passed is when roundworms larvae are present in the tissue of a mouse
or another small mammal and the puppy eats the animals.

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 How Will Roundworms Affect
My Dog?
 -Adult roundworms live in the affected dog’s intestines. Many dogs do not have sign of
infection; however, dogs with major roundworm infections, especially puppies,show
diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, dull hair, and a potbellied appearance.The dog may
cough if the roundworms move into the lungs.

 -You may notice the adult roundworms in your dog’s feces or vomit.They will appear
white or light brown in color and may be several inches long.
 How do I prevent my dog from
getting roundworms?

 - Because roundworms can enter your dog’s body in many different ways, it is essential
to keep your dog’s living area clean, remove feces.
 Roundworms in dog’s intestine

 -regularly, and , if possible, prevent your dog from eating wild animals that may carry
roundworms.
 -To get rid of roundworms that are passed from the mother dog, puppies should be
treated at 2,4,6, and 8 weeks of age and then receive a preventive treatment monthly.
Fecal (stool) examinations should be conducted 2 to 4 times during the first year of life and
1 or 2 times each year in adults. Nursing mothers should be kept on monthly prevent and
treated along with their puppies to decrease the risk of transmission.
 -Many heartworm preventives also control roundworms. Ask your veterinarian about
prevention and treatment choices that are appropriate for your dog.
 Can Humans Be Harmed By
Roundworms?
 - Roundworms do pose a significant risk to humans. Contact with contaminated soil or dog
feces can result in human ingestion and infection. Roundworms eggs may accumulate in
significant numbers in the soil where pets deposit feces. Once infected, the worms can
cause eye, lung, heart and neurologic sign in people.
 -Children should not b allowed to play where animals have passed feces. Individuals who
have direct contact with soil that may have been contaminated by cat or dog teces
should wear gloves or wash their hands immediately.
 Presented by:
 Joan Magdadaro and
 Marven Torres