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An adult worm lives and reproduces in the intestine of its definitive host, the raccoon. The female worm can produce between 115,000–179,000 eggs per day. Eggs are excreted along with feces, and become infective in the soil after 2–4 weeks. If ingested by another raccoon, the life cycle repeats.
In North America, the parasite can survive in many different animals, but it's especially common in raccoons, who "shed millions of B procyonis eggs daily in their feces," the Pediatrics ...
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 (of raccoons) [5] Baylisascaris melis (of European badgers) Baylisascaris transfuga (of bears)
Humans can then become infected if they consume dirt or soil, water, or any material contaminated with infected raccoon feces, according to the health department.
People find raccoons cute because of their sweet little faces that look like they’re wearing masks, almost human-like tiny paws, and their mischievous attitude. #10 Image credits: raccoonsfun
The presence of raccoons in close proximity to humans may be undesirable, as raccoon droppings (like most wild animals) contain parasites and other disease vectors. Raccoon roundworm is of particular concern to public health.
Ocular larva migrans (OLM), also known as ocular toxocariasis, is the ocular form of larva migrans syndrome.It occurs when roundworm larvae invade the human eye. OLM infections in humans are caused by the larvae of Toxocara canis (dog roundworm), Toxocara cati (feline roundworm), Ascaris suum (large roundworm of pig), or Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon roundworm).
A mom of a 5-year-old came to the rescue in a wild scene caught on camera when she yanked a raccoon loose from her daughter's leg after the animal had latched on to her left ankle.