Life Cycle cont.
Diagnosis cont.
adult worm compared to a penny... dear lord.
("Life Cycle of Baylisascaris procyonis," 2012).
Questions???
Linnean Classification
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Nematoda
Class - Secernentea
Order - Ascaridida
Family - Ascarididae
Genus - Baylisascaris
Species - Baylisascaris procyonis
Aw, baby raccoon... if only you didn't carry such a volatile parasite... :(
Treatment and Prevention
- Anthelmintics, corticosteroids, albendazole, however no drug has been totally effective (Murray, 2004; "Parasites - Baylisascaris procyonis," 2011).
- Early treatment is best.
Species Affected
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Raccoons
- Birds
- Rodents
- Dogs
- Don't play with raccoon feces!!! Duh!
- Personal hygiene
- Keep attics, basements, & trash cans secure
- Keep outdoor play areas secure/closed when not using
- *Raccoons like ponds and bird feed, may want to eliminate these sources
- Have pets dewormed regularly
- ("Parasites - Baylisascaris procyonis," 2011).
(Murray, 2004; "Parasites - Baylisascaris Infection," 2011)
Transmission of B. procyonis
Baylisascaris procyonis
is spread through ingestion of an infected animal's feces.
By Whitney Caplinger :)
Diagnosis
Based off of multiple tests, including
- Serology tests
- Fecal exams
- Process of elimination - must differentiate from
infection since the two are so similar in appearance.
- Tissue biopsy to find larvae
- Antemortem ("before death") brain biopsy (controversial)
Diagnosis cont.
as seen in a fecal sample
Life Cycle
- Eggs pass in raccoon feces
- Become infective in 3-4 weeks (L2 stage)
- Eggs are ingested by paratenic hosts (small mammals) or accidental hosts (humans) (will not grow to an adult worm in any host EXCEPT the raccoon or dog, it's definitive hosts) (Lang).
- Eggs hatch in the duodenum and mainly stay in the small intestine but can move to other tissues including the "liver, heart, lungs, brain, and eyes" (Lang).
- When larva reach the lungs, the host will cough them up and swallow them (Hendrix,2012).
- In paratenic hosts, the larvae will encyst in tissues.
- *The larvae will NOT mature into sexually mature adults, so NO more eggs will be produced.* (Parasites, 2011).
- In the dog or raccoon, the larvae will reach maturity and produce more eggs which are then shed in the feces.
Clinical Signs
- Depend on location/quantity
- Most commonly:
- "Nausea
- Tiredness
- Liver enlargement
- Loss of coordination
- Lack of attention to people and surroundings
- Loss of muscle control
- Blindness
- Coma"
Scientific/Common Name
("Parasites - Baylisascaris infection," 2012).
is also known as
Sources
- Baylisascaris procyonis [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/paralab/labs/lab4.htm#06
- Baylisascaris procyonis egg on left, T. canis on right [Digital image]. Retrieved from http://capcvet.org/cape-recommendations/ascarid-roundworm/
- Hendrix, C. M.; Robinson, E. (2012). Parasites of Public Health Importance in Veterinary Parasitology. T. Merchant (Ed.). Diagnostic Parasitology for Veterinary Technicians (pp. 30-31). St. Louis, MO. Elsevier Mosby.
- Lang, D. Baylisascaris procyonis: Killer Worms. Retrieved from http://bama.ua.edu/~joshua/archive/may04/David%20Lang.pdf
- "Life Cycle of Baylisascaris procyonis" [Digital image]. (2011, October 11). Retrieved from http://cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/biology.html
- Murray, W. V. (2004). Raccoon Roundworm Encephalitis. Retrieved from http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/10/1484.full?sid=f5d5a4a4-7d94-4657-b83f-8612bba3f19b#ack-1
- "Parasites - Baylisascaris infection," (2011, October 11). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/gen_info/faqs.html