A Rare but Deadly Roundworm Spread by Raccoons Is Infecting People in LA

A uncommon but perchance superior parasitic corruption dispersed by raccoons has been recovered successful Los Angeles. This week, LA nationalist wellness officials reported that astatine slightest 2 residents person been infested by Baylisascaris procyonis, much plainly known arsenic the raccoon roundworm. The worms are known to perchance origin terrible neurological and oculus damage.

Baylisascaris worms volition usually instrumentality to 1 large carnivore host, but tin infect different hosts, which thin to beryllium prey. As their sanction alludes to, raccoons (Procyon lotor) are the superior big of B. procyonis. The worms volition scope a raccoon’s gut, mate, and laic eggs that get pooped retired by the critter into the extracurricular satellite (thankfully for the raccoon, the corruption mostly doesn’t marque them sick). The eggs volition past make into infectious larvae (still encased wrong a protective shell), which tin instrumentality 2 to 4 weeks.

From there, the larvae volition usually either beryllium ingested by different raccoon, mature, and statesman a caller beingness cycle, oregon beryllium eaten by tiny prey animals similar rodents. Even a flimsy detour isn’t needfully the extremity for the worms, since they tin envelop themselves into hardy cysts that get buried successful the animal’s tissues; should the prey aboriginal beryllium eaten by raccoons, the worms tin look and proceed with concern arsenic usual. But things get a small much analyzable erstwhile people oregon our pets are unlucky capable to get infected by these worms.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced that it was investigating 2 quality cases of B. procyonis infection, some of which occurred successful the South Bay country of Los Angeles County. Though the officials did not supply immoderate details connected the information of these 2 victims, they noted that these infections tin beryllium a superior matter.

An illustration of the raccoon roundworm’s beingness cycle. © Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

While raccoons are the worm’s superior hosts, dogs tin play the portion good enough, arsenic they tin beryllium infected by B. procyonis larvae and successfully big big worms that volition shed eggs backmost into the world. But humans (and cats for that matter) are implicit dormant ends for the worm larvae erstwhile we get infected by them. Unfortunately for us, the larvae tin inactive turn bigger and volition sometimes migrate to our interior organs, eyes, oregon brain, causing superior havoc. Human cases of baylisascariasis are rare, but tin beryllium life-threatening erstwhile this happens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lone a fewer twelve cases successful full person been documented successful the U.S., but of the 23 known cases with neurological damage, arsenic of 2018, six person died.

A ample percent of raccoons successful the Western U.S. are thought to transportation B. procyonis (up to 82%, according to immoderate estimates), and the infectious larvae tin past successful the situation for years, according to the CDC. Given that raccoons thrive by surviving adjacent humans, the hazard of B. procyonis is surely ever present, if small. LA officials accidental that younger children, radical with developmental disabilities, and those with pica (an eating upset wherever radical devour things that are not typically considered food) are astatine higher hazard for these infections, since they’re much apt to enactment contaminated fingers, soil, objects, oregon feces into their mouths. But radical tin instrumentality communal consciousness precautions to little their likelihood of catching these nasty worms.

“Our wellness is intimately linked to the wellness of animals astir us,” said Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer, successful a statement released by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Simple precautions, similar washing your hands regularly, avoiding nonstop interaction with chaotic animals and their waste, keeping pets healthy, and preventing wildlife from sheltering oregon surviving successful oregon adjacent to our homes oregon properties tin assistance support our neighborhoods and families harmless and healthy.”