Toxocara cati

[5] Contact with the soil, licking fur near feet, and eating a host animal (such as rodents) can also lead to infection of the felines.

[5] The larvae are capable of migrating through the tissues and are found in the liver, lungs, tracheal washings and muscles as well as in the digestive tract.

There are a number of anthelmintics that will kill the adult worms, including Ivermectin, emodepside, fenbendazole, milbemycin, and moxidectin.

Consequently, infected cats will usually need multiple doses administered in two or three week intervals in order to fully eradicate the worms.

[2] Typically, this happens when an individual pets an infected cat, picks up the parasite off of the fur and touches their face before washing their hands.

Depending on the location and number of the larva in the human host, the disease can either be asymptomatic or cause conditions such as fever, cough, pneumonia, and vision loss.

Rarely, the migrating larvae can cause eosinophilic meningitis or encephalitis, myelitis, optic neuritis, radiculitis, cranial nerve palsy, or myocarditis.

[10] Even in relatively healthy people, the roundworm larvae infect organs such as the liver, lungs, eyes or brain and cause severe symptoms, such as: