The tapeworm gets nutrients and fat and all that from the food and the human is deprived of the food's nutrients. They can be especially harmful to children and people with compromised immune systems. This is called hydatid disease. Tapeworms are not usually harmful to your pet. Unfortunately, specific types of dog worms CAN be passed on to humans. The same thing can happen to a person, though it’s rather rare. Humans, dogs and cats can all become infested by tapeworms, but they are not actually directly contagious. A person must swallow an infected flea to become infected with this type of tapeworm. Most reported cases involve children. What is Toxocariasis? Such an infection can happen to you if you walk over contaminated soil using your bare feet. Many people ask their veterinarian, “Can humans get worms from dogs?” The answer is yes — we can certainly get intestinal parasites from our dogs or cats. Worms are a common problem for dogs. Hookworms can be ingested or the larvae can penetrate the skin or pass from mother to offspring through the uterus or mammary glands. The egg will hatch inside the flea’s stomach and form into cysticercoids. A flea feeding on the dog’s feces will ingest the tapeworm egg. Occasionally, human infants and children become infected with the dog tapeworms. Although not a common occurrence, the tapeworm that infest the pet can infest the dog’s human family too. This one *can* be passed on to humans, but you'd need to ingest the eggs or worms for that to happen. Such an infection can happen to you if you walk over contaminated soil using your bare feet. The thought of a foot-long worm inside of your dog may make you cringe -- for good reason. Worms can be dangerous for your dog. For example if your vegetarian meal is prepared by a person with tapeworm and poor hand hygiene, the tapeworm eggs can be passed to you. The short answer is: YES, human beings can … It may be possible to spot tapeworm segments (they break up into pieces) in stool as they are passed from the body. Roundworm Transmission From Pets to Humans . Humans, dogs and cats can all become infested by tapeworms, but they are not actually directly contagious. Others can easily get them from other animals, feces, or soil. Many people ask their veterinarian, “Can humans get worms from dogs?” The answer is yes — we can certainly get intestinal parasites from our dogs or cats. Infections with these tapeworms can be serious and difficult to treat, but simple precautions like getting your dog dewormed regularly … These parasites steal sustenance directly from their host's digestive tract. Tapeworms are usually found in farm animals, and dogs contract them as they come in contact with them—and then humans get them as they accidentally consume water, food or soil contaminated with the stool of a sick dog. Some dogs can be born with different types of worms passed on by their mothers. However, tapeworms need an intermediary host, like a flea! Yes; however, the risk of infection with this tapeworm in humans is very low. Sometimes, an infected dog will “scoot” or drag its anus across the ground or carpet because the segments are irritating to the skin in this area. A few cases of tapeworm infection have been reported in children. This is not readily transmitted to humans, as swallowing an infected flea is required to become infected. Toxocariasis is an animal to human infection caused by the parasitic roundworms commonly found in the intestine of dogs and cats. Tapeworms: Named for their resemblance to tape strips, tapeworms live in a dog's small intestine, where they siphon nutrients from his body. Toxocariasis or Roundworm. Like whipworms, tapeworms rarely infect people. Tapeworm eggs can also stick to a dog’s fur and can be accidentally ingested if you pet the animal and then touch your nose or mouth. If you get worms from your pet, you could be in danger, too. Dog Tapeworms in Humans. On feces, these tapeworm segments that can be seen moving will be transmitted to other dogs and to humans by a flea. Canine tapeworms can be ingested through raw meat Some canine tapeworms are also zoonotic. A flea ingests tapeworm eggs from an infected dog. Hookworms: Hookworms are the second-most-common canine intestinal parasite. You cannot get Dipylidium caninum tapeworms directly from your dog, as it depends on the flea as the intermediate host. An example of a parasitic symbiotic relationship is a human and a tapeworm. Occasionally, a portion of this tapeworm will be passed when the dog vomits. Fleas can be an intermediate host to tapeworms, but again, these only infect a new host when the flea is ingested, for example by a cat grooming itself with its tongue. Children who ingest these fleas or flea parts will have tapeworms attach in their intestines and grow to maturity. Life Cycle Tapeworms have flat, segmented bodies that can extend over 2 feet long, although many only grow to a few inches or less.