Baylisascaris

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Baylisascaris
Baylisascaris procyonis larvae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nematoda
Class: Chromadorea
Order: Ascaridida
Family: Ascarididae
Genus: Baylisascaris
Sprent, 1968[1]

Baylisascaris is a genus of roundworms that infect more than fifty animal species.[citation needed]

Life cycle

Baylisascaris eggs are passed in feces and become active within a month. They can remain viable in the environment for years, withstanding heat and cold.[2] Animals become infested either by swallowing the eggs or eating another animal infested with Baylisascaris.[2]

Disease progression

After an animal swallows the eggs, the microscopic

paratenic
host, they break into the bloodstream and enter various organs, particularly the central nervous system. A great deal of damage occurs wherever the larva try to make a home. In response to the attack, the body attempts to destroy it by walling it off or killing it. The larva moves rapidly to escape, seeking out the liver, eyes, spinal cord or brain. Occasionally they can be found in the heart, lungs, and other organs. Eventually the larva dies and is reabsorbed by the body. In very small species such as mice, it might take only one or two larvae in the brain to be fatal. If the larva does not cause significant damage in vital organs, then the victim will show no signs of disease. On the other hand, if it causes behavioral changes by destroying parts of the brain, the host becomes easier prey, bringing the larva into the intestine of a new host.[citation needed]

Clinical signs in humans

Are the following:[citation needed]

  • Skin irritations from larvae migrating within the skin.
  • Respiratory discomfort, liver enlargement, and fever due to reaction to larvae migration.
  • Eye and brain tissue damage due to the random migration of the larvae.
  • Nausea, a lethargic feeling, incoordination and loss of eyesight.
  • Severe neurological signs including imbalance, circling and abnormal behavior, caused by extensive tissue damage due to larval migration through the brain, eventually seizures and coma.

Treatment

While deworming can rid the intestine of adult Baylisascaris, no treatment has been shown to alleviate illness caused by migrating larvae.[3] Despite lack of larvicidal effects, albendazole (20–40 mg/kg/d for 1–4 weeks) has been used to treat many cases.[4]

Baylisascaris species

Each Baylisascaris species has a host species that it uses to reproduce. The eggs appear in the host species' feces. They can then be ingested by, and infest, a variety of other animals (including humans) that serve as paratenic hosts.[citation needed]

Baylisascaris species include:

Baylisascaris procyonis

Baylisascaris procyonis is found in the intestines of raccoons in North America, Japan and Germany. It infests 68 to 82% of some raccoon populations, according to the House Rabbit Society.[7] According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, nearly 100 percent of raccoons in the Midwestern US are infected. This parasite can be extremely harmful or deadly to humans.[3]

Baylisascaris columnaris

Further information: Skunks as pets § Veterinary care

Skunks carry Baylisascaris columnaris, a similar species to B. procyonis. Many pet skunks have died from this parasite.[citation needed] According to several skunk experts, many baby skunks from skunk farms have B. columnaris present in their bodies.[8] The exact proportion of skunks that are infested is unknown. Since the worms are often at too early a stage in development to begin shedding eggs into the feces, a fecal test may not detect the parasite, and the pet should be pre-emptively treated with dewormers antiparasitacides.[citation needed]

Baylisascaris eggs are highly resistant to decontamination procedures because of their dense shell[

geophagy. In spite of the numerous raccoons living in close contact with humans, less than 30 serious infections of humans by Baylisascaris had been reported by 2012; but it is thought that some cases are misdiagnosed as other infections or are never identified.[citation needed
]

See also

  • List of parasites (human)

References

  1. ^ IRMNG (2018). "Baylisascaris Sprent, 1968". Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Ferris, Howard (3 August 2020). "Baylisascaris procyonis". nemaplex.ucdavis.edu. University of California. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  3. ^
    PMID 16223954
    .
  4. ^ Gaensbauer, James; Levin, Myron J. (2020). "Infections: Parasitic & Mycotic". Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics (25th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
  5. PMID 19204331
    .
  6. PMID 24662055
    .
  7. ^ Baylisascaris procyonis Article Archived December 5, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Information on Parasites in Skunks". Archived from the original on 2006-02-20.
  9. ^ "www.olympicvet.com". Archived from the original on 2005-09-29. Retrieved 2009-05-05.

External links

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