What is raccoon roundworm?

The raccoon roundworm infection is also called Bayscascaris. When infective eggs get ingested by the humans, they will go into the intestines and they may travel in organs until they reach the muscle. The infected raccoon can shade million eggs into the feces. The eggs can develop to be larvae in 2 to 4 weeks. The eggs are normally resistant to the environment problems and when adequate moisture is available, it may survive for many years. The infection can be spread if the eggs are ingested by an animal or a person. The people mostly young children they may be infected accidentally when they ingest the eggs through their hands, water or soil and other objects which may have been contaminated by the feces of the raccoons. The eggs should be ingested by the humans or even other animals that can hatch or can release the larvae. The animals may be infected if they eat the small animal which was infected by the roundworms.



The symptoms and the signs of the roundworms do depend on the eggs which had been ingested and where the larvae had reached into the body. When they are swallowed in the body, the eggs will hatch in the larvae and they will make the disease to migrate to spinal cord, brain and liver. When it is only few eggs which had been swallowed, it may cause no symptoms or just few symptoms. When large number of the eggs has been ingested, it can lead to many symptoms. The symptoms may be liver enlargement, fatigue and nausea and lack of the coordination or lack of the attention. Sometime, it may lead to blindness or coma. There are cases which led to death. The symptoms or the signs may take around a week to start after the ingestion of these eggs.

Any person who lives in the place where there are raccoons is at risk of getting the roundworms. The people who are disabled or young children, they may be at a high risk of getting the infection since they spend most time outside and they can put the objects or fingers in their mouth.

There is no cure available against the roundworms and the best way is to prevent it and to avoid having the contact with the raccoons especially their feces. It is not good to adopt, to feed or to keep the raccoons as the pets. You have to ensure that there are no raccoons that live near your home.

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