Presented by:Asmerom Lebasi

& Tamrat Oda

B. procyonis is a large roundworm infection that lives in the intestines of raccoons.

Up to 82% of adult raccoons and 90% of young raccoons are infected

First infection reported in 1984 in a10 month-old-child in Pennsylvania

Only 11 cases have been reported so far 4 have been fatal

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Nematoda Class: Nematoda Order: Ascaridida Family: Ascarididae Genus: Baylisascaris Species: procyonis

Found through out North America In the Midwest, over half of the raccoons studied

were infected.

Northeast regions of the United States California and Georgia. 

Proven human cases have been reported in California, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota and Missouri.

Definitive Host: Raccoon

Dogs also serve as DH asthey harbor infections and shed eggs

Intermediate Host: small mammals: mouse, squirrel, bird

Accidental hosts: Human

They are tan-white in color, cylindrical and taper at both ends.

Female can be up to 24 inches long

Male can be up to 12 inches long

Unembryonated eggs are shed in the environment.

They take 2-4 weeks to embryonate and become infective.

Raccoons can be infected by ingesting embryonated eggs from the environment.

Additionally, over 100 species of birds and mammals (especially rodents) can act as paratenic hosts for this parasite: eggs ingested by these hosts hatch and larvae penetrate the gut wall and migrate into various tissues where they encyst.

The life cycle is completed when raccoons eat these hosts. 

The larvae develop into egg-laying adult worms in the small intestine and eggs are eliminated in raccoon feces. 

Humans become accidentally infected when they ingest infective eggs from the environment; typically this occurs in young children playing in the dirt.

Migration of the larvae through a wide variety of tissues (liver, heart, lungs, brain, eyes) results in VLM and OLM syndromes, similar to toxocariasis. 

Baylisascaris larvae continue to grow during their time in the human host. 

Raccoons have NO symptoms!

appear 1-3 weeks after infection, although they can take as long as 2 months

Nausea, blindness,coma Skin irritations Lethargy Loss of muscle control Liver enlargement

Microscopy Fecal floats to identify eggs in the feces CAT scanEosinophiles : high level of WBC count Serologic testing exam

Laser treatment of the eye is a possibility if the eye becomes infected with larvae

Damage done is irreversible so there is no exact treatment for human

Raccoons can be successfully treated with several anthelmintics to kill the adult worms.

Effective drugs are piperazine, fenbendazole, pyrantel pamoate, levamisole

Avoid contact with raccoons don’t feed them don’t keep them as pets Wash your hands frequently when your

around raccoons - especially important for children because they frequently put their fingers in their mouths

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol8no4/01-0273.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylisascaris

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12150_12220-27261--,00.html

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2107+2255&aid=721

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxL2qHBetvI&feature=related