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Raccoon Roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis)
Eaton Rapids Joe ^ | 8/6/17 | Joe Mama

Posted on 08/06/2017 10:42:32 PM PDT by LibWhacker

Raccoon Roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis)


Raccoon Roundworms (Baylisascaris procyonis) may be the perfect biological weapon.

The common raccoon is the primary host for this parasite.  Not only have urban areas been a windfall for raccoon populations, but the closer proximity facilitates the raccoon-to-raccoon transmission of this worm.

Typical rural habitat might contain 10 raccoons per square mile.  Prime, bottomland habitat might support 20 raccoons per square mile.  Urban habitats have been documented as holding 130-to-390 raccoons per square mile.  And, of course, urban habitats increase the exposure of humans to raccoon poop.

Baylisascaris procyonis
 
The adult worm on the left is 9" long.

All quotes from October 2005 issue of Clinical Microbiology Reviews
In the raccoon intestine, adult female worms produce prodigious numbers of eggs, with estimates of between 115,000 and 179,000 eggs/worm/day.  In nature, infected raccoons shed an average of 20,000 to 26,000 eggs per gram of feces and can shed in excess of 250,000 eggs per gram of feces. Thus, infected raccoons can shed millions of B. procyonis eggs daily, leading to widespread and heavy environmental contamination.
In nature, B. procyonis eggs resist decontamination and environmental degradation and remain viable in moist soil for years.  Larvae even remain viable in eggs stored for months in 10% formalin.
...the broad host range of B. procyonis larvae is most unusual and likely represents a distinct survival advantage for the parasite (29). Specifically, the ability of larvae to infect over 100 species of animals and birds
A small but potentially devastating number of larvae (typically 5 to 7%) then enter the CNS. Aggressive migration and growth of larvae, particularly within the CNS, leads to the debilitation or death of the intermediate host by acute fulminant eosinophilic meningoencephalitis
"Small" is a relative term.
In one of the first fatal cases, 185 live motile larvae were recovered postmortem from one 60-g sample of cerebrum
A number of reports have documented infection of domestic dogs and puppies with egg-laying adult B. procyonis worms. Because of their close contact with humans, particularly children, B. procyonis infection of domestic dogs and pets represents a greater potential risk of infection and is a worrisome development.

Although generally solitary animals, raccoons defecate in preferred communal sites, termed latrines.  In forested and rural areas, raccoon latrines are characteristically found on raised flat surfaces, such as stumps and limbs of trees, large logs, downed timber and rocks, and at the bases or in the crotches of trees (and in tree stands).  In suburban and urban settings, raccoon latrines are also found in lofts, attics and chimneys, and on flat roofs, wooden decks, woodpiles, and patios
Baylisascaris procyonis is also increasingly recognized as a cause of ocular disease in humans. In contrast to NLM, which is almost exclusively restricted to infants and young children, isolated ocular larva migrans (OLM) usually occurs in otherwise healthy adults
The prognosis for B. procyonis NLM is grave with or without treatment; among documented cases, there are no neurologically intact survivors.
Anthelmintics successfully eradicate adult B. procyonis worms from the intestines of raccoons and skunks but are much less effective against larvae in tissues of intermediate hosts and humans. In one of the first-documented human cases, thiabendazole treatment failed to prevent the isolation of numerous live motile larvae from the child's brain postmortem
In the absence of effective treatment and early diagnosis, prevention of B. procyonis infection remains the best medicine. Most cases of B. procyonis infection are preventable by relatively simple measures. Education of the public regarding the potential dangers of contact with raccoons or their feces is the most important preventive step.
...the longevity of B. procyonis eggs and their resistance to disinfection or decontamination makes successful environmental cleanup difficult. Detailed guidelines are available for raccoon latrine cleanup. Heat is by far the best method of killing B. procyonis eggs. Boiling water, steam-cleaning, flaming, or fire are highly effective and practical methods for decontamination of large or small areas. The use of direct flames from a propane flame-gun is a favored method. (a bit tough in an attic) For heavily contaminated areas a combination of removal and disposal of the top few inches of surface soil with flaming is most effective. Ideally, personnel cleaning contaminated areas should wear disposable overalls, gloves, and mask and eye protection. All potentially contaminated material removed from these sites, including used protective clothing, should be incinerated. Contaminated surfaces can be adequately cleaned with a xylene-ethanol mixture, after solid waste has been removed. However, chemical disinfection, in general, is rarely effective and not practical for large outdoor areas. Eggs are resistant to most common disinfectants; 20% bleach (1% sodium hypochlorite) will wash away sticky eggs but does not kill them

 And you thought lead was bad for the brain!  I wonder how many inner-city kids with behavioral issues would test positive for B. procyonis.

Hat-tip to Lucas Machias


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: bprocyonis; coons; disease; oculardisease; parasites; procyonis; raccoon; roundworms
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To: LibWhacker

{{{SHIVERS}}}}


21 posted on 08/07/2017 2:51:50 AM PDT by Daffynition (The New PTSD: PRESIDENT-Trump Stress Disorder” - The LSN didn’t make Trump, so they can’t break h)
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To: LibWhacker

This is disturbing.


22 posted on 08/07/2017 3:03:37 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: onedoug

The best way to treat raccoons near your home is a 45acp.

I really don’t like them.


23 posted on 08/07/2017 3:05:29 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: LibWhacker
Aww, aren't they cute?

Nope. I put them second on the list of nuisance animals in my state with Yotes number one. I've had coons growl at me outside my home and I dispatched them. I now never, ever, toss any food scraps outside. They used to be seldom seen now they're quite common in east Tennessee.

24 posted on 08/07/2017 3:09:53 AM PDT by cva66snipe ((Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?))
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To: LibWhacker

Disgusting. The idea of parasitic infections are like horror movies to me. For that reason, I’d never live in a country where parasites are common. I’d rather deal with rattlesnakes and spiders..


25 posted on 08/07/2017 3:20:00 AM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: cva66snipe

I’m near the Tri-Cities...I have a young one that keeps coming up on my deck...I put out a small pile of dry cat food LOADED with cayenne and bhut jolokia pepper. Just as he was approaching the food, I stepped out from a hiding place, he panicked, stuffed his face, and ran. Haven’t seen him for a few days...


26 posted on 08/07/2017 3:20:53 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.com)
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To: LibWhacker

Yep, I think that’s the right perspective. These worms really are freaky tho...


27 posted on 08/07/2017 3:35:51 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: LibWhacker
#8: "neighbors, began feeding the poor feral cats around here"

FYI feral cats are vermin linke racoons.
 

28 posted on 08/07/2017 3:45:35 AM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie
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To: Bob434

Gee, that’s a threefer, no raccoons, no termites and no back porch, can’t hardly beat that


29 posted on 08/07/2017 3:55:10 AM PDT by depenzz ("Train hard, fight easy")
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To: Yardstick

Yes, and now that I think about it, they mention both here and in the article at CMR, that this parasite may be the perfect biological weapon. You can’t say that about many other diseases or parasites. Once you’re infected, the eggs get into your central nervous system, and from there migrate to your brain, hatch and start feeding. By the time you die, much of your brain has been eaten and turned into thousands of writhing worms... GAG! It doesn’t get much worse than that! Wow, I’m feeling queasy. :-p


30 posted on 08/07/2017 5:04:06 AM PDT by LibWhacker
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Bookmark


31 posted on 08/07/2017 5:19:02 AM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- which have been proven over time.)
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To: UnwashedPeasant

Cool. Thanks for this!!!


32 posted on 08/07/2017 5:35:33 AM PDT by MarMema
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To: neverevergiveup

Great great great book called This is your brain on Parasites I think. They are all the rage in medicine now. Found to be causing much more than we ever dreamed and as skilled as brain surgeons.


33 posted on 08/07/2017 5:39:23 AM PDT by MarMema
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To: TigersEye

See post 6.


34 posted on 08/07/2017 5:39:53 AM PDT by MarMema
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To: LibWhacker

There was a case locally of a dog infected with this. The owner took the sick dog to the vet who examined the dog, took samples and sent them home. Two hours later the vet called and said to get the dog back asap and to not touch it or anything it may have soiled.

Long story short, the dog had raccoon roundworms. The CDC was called in, the dogs owner had to completely burn his yard and disinfect his house, a child that the dog vomited on had to be treated just in case and if I remember right, the dog may have actually survived.

This was just last month. This is a real problem.


35 posted on 08/07/2017 5:49:25 AM PDT by TruBluKentuckian
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To: LibWhacker
 photo Tapeworm.jpg

But then there is the upside.....

36 posted on 08/07/2017 5:51:50 AM PDT by super7man (Madam Defarge, knitting, knitting, always knitting)
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To: who knows what evil?

I’m sorry, but the fact that the raccoon stuffed his face and THEN ran is funnier than hell. Raccoons, next to dogs/wolves, are about the smartest mammals native to North America. You TELL me any other animal that would ever stuff its face and THEN run.


37 posted on 08/07/2017 6:23:26 AM PDT by dangus
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To: dangus

I wasn’t sure he would chow down, assuming he would smell the pepper first. I didn’t give him time to check it out, though; so he stuffed his face and took off...hope he enjoyed it!


38 posted on 08/07/2017 6:38:56 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (Yehovah saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.com)
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To: MarMema

I thought we already had enough of them in Congress.


39 posted on 08/07/2017 7:03:31 AM PDT by neverevergiveup
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To: LibWhacker

I have 2 big raccoons that stay on the porch all night. They keep the wolves from coming near the house.


40 posted on 08/07/2017 7:15:36 AM PDT by bunkerhill7 ((("The Second Amendment has no limits on firepower"-NY State Senator Kathleen A. Marchione."))))))
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