ROUNDWORMS

TWO--THIRDS of public playgrounds are thought to be contaminated with roundworm eggs — stomach-churning parasites that grow up to 14 in long in cani canine guts.

The eggs are ask in dog mess and survive for months on the ground. If you garden without gloves or eat food you’ve dropped on the ground, the eggs can end up inside you.

The three - se second r ule — the commonly held beliefb that if you pick up dropped food immediately it’s safe to eat — doesn’t work here.

Once inside th the human body, the larvae cannot grow into adult worms, but migrate to the lungs, liver, eyes and brains, poten potentially causing serious internal damage and even blindness.

‘Roundworm looks like cooked spaghetti and is probably the most common intestin parasite in dogs,’ says Vicki Lark Larkham, a vet with the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.

‘You know if you dog has them because they will be vomiting or you will see the worm worms.’