Baylisascaris procyonis is a roundworm parasite found in intestines of raccoons. This roundworm can infect people as well as a variety of other animals including dogs. The infection in humans is rare, but can be severe if the parasites infect the eye, brain, spinal cord, and/or other organs.
People can become infected with this parasite when they ingest eggs found in soil, water, or on objects that have been contaminated with raccoon feces. The eggs can survive in the environment for a long time as they are resistant to most environmental conditions.
Children are at a higher risk as they may put contaminated fingers, soil or objects in their mouth.
The infection is not contagious, so one person cannot give the infection to another.
The signs and symptoms may appear as early as 1 to 4 weeks following exposure, although it may take as long as 2 months. The interval and severity of signs and symptoms depend on how many eggs are ingested. The eggs hatch into larvae and then cause disease by travelling to brain, spinal cord, eyes and other organs. Some of the signs and symptoms are:
Please see your health care provider to discuss your concerns.
For additional information on Baylisascaris procyonis, visit the CDC website [2].
Links
[1] http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/resources/raccoonlatrines.pdf
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/index.html
[3] https://www.wechu.org/tags/infectious-disease-prevention
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