First report of the zoonotic nematode Baylisascaris procyonis in non-native raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Italy

AbstractBaylisascaris procyonis is a nematode parasite of the raccoon (Procyon lotor), and it can be responsible for a severe form of larva migrans in humans. This parasite has been reported from many countries all over the world, after translocation of its natural host outside its native geographic range, North America. In the period between January and August 2021, 21 raccoons were cage-trapped and euthanized in Tuscany (Central Italy), in the context of a plan aimed at eradicating a reproductive population of this non-native species. All the animals were submitted for necroscopic examination. Adult ascariids were found in the small intestine of seven raccoons (prevalence 33.3%). Parasites have been identified as B. procyonis based on both morphometric and molecular approaches. The aim of the present article is to report the first finding of this zoonotic parasite from Italy, highlighting the sanitary risks linked to the introduction of alien vertebrate species in new areas. Graphical Abstract

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Baylisascaris procyonis un nemátodo del mapache urbano, agente zoonótico emergente por considerar como diagnóstico diferencial de larva migrans en Costa Rica. Revisión

Revista Ciencias Veterinarias ◽

10.15359/rcv.35-1.2 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Mario Baldi ◽

Martha Piche ◽

Mario Romero ◽

Sabine Elisabeth Hutter ◽

Víctor Montenegro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Procyon Lotor ◽

Larva Migrans ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis

El ascaridio Baylisascaris procyonis es un agente parasitario de importancia para la salud pública, siendo su huésped definitivo el mapache común (Procyon lotor). Un nuevo informe alerta sobre la presencia de estas lombrices en poblaciones de mapaches en la zona urbana de Costa Rica, y hace énfasis en la necesidad de conocer más sobre este parásito, su ciclo de vida y cómo prevenir su transmisión en humanos y animales domésticos. Esta comunicación es una breve revisión sobre los aspectos más importantes de este nematodo y sus efectos negativos en la salud animal y pública. Además, se hace hincapié en los mejores métodos de diagnóstico etiológico y los más apropiados para animales domésticos, así como el tratamiento y la prevención en perros. El presente artículo pretende formar conciencia en los trabajadores de la salud pública y animal sobre la necesidad de tomar el Bayliascaris procyonis dentro de su diagnóstico diferencial de larvas migrantes en Costa Rica.

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Parasitic helminths from feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Japan

Helminthologia ◽

10.2478/s11687-006-0027-8 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 139-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Y. Matoba ◽

D. Yamada ◽

M. Asano ◽

Y. Oku ◽

K. Kitaura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Procyon Lotor ◽

Epidemiological Survey ◽

Larva Migrans ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Taenia Hydatigena ◽

Molecular Analyses ◽

Parasitic Helminths ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopic ◽

Free Ranging

AbstractAn epidemiological survey of 1688 free-ranging raccoons (Procyon lotor) captured on the Japanese main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu was undertaken to determine whether Baylisascaris procyonis, which provokes fatal neurological larva migrans was present; however, the worm was not detected in any of these individuals. A helminthological investigation was carried out on 229 of the captured racoons and the following worms obtained: Toxocara tanuki, Porrocaecum sp., Molineus legerae, Ancylostoma kushimaense, Aonchotheca putorii, Centrorhynchus sp., Centrorhynchus bazaleticus, C. elongatum, Plagiorhynchidae gen sp., Hemiechinosoma sp., Metagonimus takahashii, M. miyatai, Euparyphium sp., Plagiorchis muris, Brachylaima sp., and Taenia hydatigena. These were the first records of Porrocaecum sp., M. miyatai, Brachylaima sp. and T. hydatigena obtained from Japanese feral raccoons. Scanning electron microscopic and/or molecular analyses were performed for both T. tanuki and T. hydatigena as these helminths both have a zoonotic counterpart amongst their families.

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Variabilidad de Baylisascariasis como diagnóstico diferencial de larva migrans en humanos, Costa Rica.

Revista Médica de la Universidad de Costa Rica ◽

10.15517/rmucr.v12i1.34610 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mario Baldi Salas ◽

Chris Walzer

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Procyon Lotor ◽

Larva Migrans ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis

Baylisascariasis es una enfermedad causada por una larva migras muy agresiva en humanos y animales, clasificada como una zoonosis emergente de importancia en salud pública. El agente causal es el nemátodo Baylisascaris procyonis, siendo su huésped definitivo el mapache común (Procyon lotor). Reportes de la presencia de este parásito en poblaciones de mapaches en la zona urbana de Costa Rica, alerta sobre la necesidad de conocer su ciclo de vida, diagnóstico, transmisión y prevención de este parásito. Esta revisión contempla los aspectos más relevantes del nemátodo en relación con la salud pública, así como su ciclo de vida, diagnóstico, tratamiento y prevención. Concientizando con ello, a los trabajadores de la salud pública y animal sobre la necesidad de considerar al Baylisascaris procyonis dentro de sus diagnósticos diferenciales de larvas migrantes causados por otros nemátodos del orden Ascaridida en Costa Rica y posiblemente en la región Mesoamericana y el Caribe.

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Cerebral Larva Migrans in a Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Veterinary Pathology ◽

10.1354/vp.36-6-618 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 618-620 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. N. Hamir ◽

D. E. Snyder ◽

J. R. Lichtenfels

Keyword(s):

Procyon Lotor ◽

Larva Migrans

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Diagnostic Morphology of Four Larval Ascaridoid Nematodes That May Cause Visceral Larva Migrans: Toxascaris leonina, Baylisascaris procyonis, Lagochilascaris sprenti, and Hexametra leidyi

Journal of Parasitology ◽

10.2307/3282306 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 73 (6) ◽

pp. 1198 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Dwight D. Bowman

Keyword(s):

Larva Migrans ◽

Visceral Larva Migrans ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis ◽

Toxascaris Leonina

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Baylisascaris procyonis roundworm infection patterns in raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Missouri and Arkansas, USA

Helminthologia ◽

10.1515/helm-2017-0011 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 113-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

H. S. Al-Warid ◽

A. V. Belsare ◽

K. Straka ◽

M. E. Gompper

Keyword(s):

Procyon Lotor ◽

Missouri River ◽

Geographic Range ◽

Health Concern ◽

Mean Intensity ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis ◽

Wildlife Species ◽

The Usa ◽

Paratenic Hosts ◽

North And South

Summary Baylisascaris procyonis is a helminth parasite of raccoons Procyon lotor and represents a health concern in paratenic hosts, including humans and diverse domestic and wildlife species. In North America the helminth is expanding its geographic range. To better understand patterns of infection in the Ozark region of the USA, raccoons (n = 61) were collected in 2013-2014 from five counties in Missouri and Arkansas, USA and necropsied. We documented B. procyonis in all surveyed locations. The overall prevalence of B. procyonis was 44.3 % (95 % CI = 31.9 - 57.4) and was significantly higher in females than males. There were also significant differences in prevalence among raccoons sampled north and south of the Missouri River. Mean intensity was 9.9 (CI = 5.44 - 17.22), and parasites were highly aggregated among hosts such that approximately 20 % of hosts harbor 90 % of parasites. These levels of parasitism indicate that B. procyonis is common in the region and its impacts on paratenic hosts could be qualitatively similar to effects observed in other localities.

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Cryptosporidium sp. skunk genotype in wild raccoons (Procyon lotor) naturally infected with Baylisascaris procyonis from Central Germany

Parasitology International ◽

10.1016/j.parint.2020.102159 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 ◽

pp. 102159

Author(s):

Zaida Rentería-Solís ◽

Elisabeth Meyer-Kayser ◽

Anna Obiegala ◽

Franziska Ackermann ◽

Nina Król ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Procyon Lotor ◽

Central Germany ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis

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Good Outcome With Early Empiric Treatment of Neural Larva Migrans Due to Baylisascaris procyonis

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.2011-2078 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 129 (3) ◽

pp. e806-e811 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

J. M. Peters ◽

V. L. Madhavan ◽

K. R. Kazacos ◽

R. N. Husson ◽

S. Dangoudoubiyam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Larva Migrans ◽

Good Outcome ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis ◽

Empiric Treatment

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Toxocarosis

10.1093/med/9780198570028.003.0071 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Sheelagh Lloyd ◽

Eric R. Morgan

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

Toxocara Canis ◽

Larva Migrans ◽

Toxocara Cati ◽

Stray Dogs ◽

Baylisascaris Procyonis ◽

Wild Canids ◽

Ocular Larva Migrans ◽

Free Ranging

Toxocara canis and the syndromes of visceral and ocular larva migrans (VLM, OLM), covert toxocarosis, and neurological toxocarosis are described. Other potential agents, particularly Toxocara cati and Baylisascaris procyonis , are described. The transmission dynamics of toxocarosis to humans have never been fully elucidated, but the potential roles of pet and stray dogs, foxes, cats, and the influence of their population densities, and age demographies, are discussed in relation to contamination of the environment with eggs. Routes of infection with eggs by geophagia, poor hygiene outdoors and with dogs, and fly-borne contamination of food, and meat-borne ingestion of larvae are described. The development of prolonged in vitro culture and analyses of T. canis larval excretions/secretions (TES) and surface antigens helped explain the importance of the rapid production and shedding of TES in the prolonged course of infection and pathogenesis of disease. TES also have greatly improved serodiagnosis. However, we still have insufficient understanding of differences in the aetiology of the larvae or differences in immune responses among individuals to account for development of VLM, covert toxocarosis, or OLM in different individuals. Our understanding of the immunopathological response of the host to TES has emphasized the need for anti-inflammatory therapy in treatment; unfortunately, less information is available on the true efficacy of the anthelmintics available. The complexity of the T. canis life cycle in dogs is described and therapeutic regimens to prevent excretion of eggs by pet dogs are given. This, plus adequate control or exclusion of stray or wild canids from a property could prevent most cases of VLM. Control of infection from free-ranging stray dogs, cats and foxes, will be difficult and more data are needed to clarify the importance of these and of fly-borne and meat-borne transfer of infection to humans for control.

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