VILE PARASITES

MORE than 3,500 people suffer from giardiasis in England and Wales each year. The disease — which leads to diarrhoea, cramps, belching, flatulence and tiredness — is caused by tiny parasites called giardia, which live in the intestines and are spread in faeces. Giardia survive for months in water or soil.

Dogs pick up parasites by drinking infected water, rolling in contaminated soil or by licking themselves after contact with a contaminated surface. Owners can pick up the disease if they let their dogs lick their faces or don’t wash their hands after handling a dog.

‘Puppies are at higher risk,’ says Caroline Reay of Blue Cross ‘Good hand hygiene is really important.’