Dog Feces May Blind Toddler

by Dr. Chris

August 19, 2010 The London's Daily Mail is reporting that a small child who fell in some dog feces may lose her eye due to a potentially fatal infection. Amiee Langdon used her hand which was dirty with dog feces to wipe her eye. Her mother then cleaned it off immediately but it was too late.

The following day, the child had flu like symptoms and was in a great deal of pain. Apparently her whole eye was swollen shut and purple.

The diagnosis came back as toxocariasis, a parasite in dog feces. She is in the hospital receiving antibiotics. If the infection is not cured the eye will have to be removed to prevent it from going into the brain via the optic nerve.

The doctors said that if Amiee wasn't treated in 72 hours she could have died.

The dog feces Amiee feel in was in a child's play area where dogs are not allowed.

To read more see pictures of the child's eye: London Daily Mail.

For more information about potential zoonotic diseases see: Can Pets Spread Infections?

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