The parasite prevention checklist

A handful of everyday habits, in one place — print it and stick it on the fridge. No fear required.

Print this checklist

Everyday hygiene

• Wash hands with soap before eating and after the bathroom, gardening, or handling animals
• Keep fingernails short, and discourage nail-biting (especially in kids)
• Shower in the morning during any pinworm treatment, and wash bedding in hot water

Water

• Don't drink untreated lake, stream, or well water — filter, boil, or treat it first
• Remember the hidden sources: ice, brushing teeth, and rinsing produce with unsafe water
• In warm fresh water, keep water out of your nose (hold it or use a nose clip when jumping or diving)

Food

• Cook meat and fish to safe internal temperatures
• Wash fresh produce well — especially leafy greens, herbs, and berries
• Keep produce refrigerated, particularly in hot weather

Pets & animals

• Keep up a vet-recommended deworming and flea/tick routine
• Pick up pet feces promptly, and wash hands afterward
• During pregnancy, avoid changing cat litter if possible (or wear gloves and wash hands)

Travel

• Follow "cook it, peel it, or skip it" for food abroad
• Travelling? Stick to sealed or treated water; for rural trips boil it or pack a filter rated for cyst removal — chlorine and iodine do not work well against parasites
• Wear shoes where soil may be contaminated; check destination advice before you go

Learn more: parasites in people Take the symptom check