Raccoon Roundworm Hits New York City

[Sadsack]

Watch out, Franky!

Raccoon Roundworm Hits New York City | wowOwow


Raccoon Roundworm | Today 10:45 am


Raccoon Roundworm Hits New York City

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© Shutterstock

A rare disease that can be transmitted through contact with raccoon feces has left one New York City teenager partially blind and an infant brain damaged. The city’s Department of Health has issued an alert for Raccoon Roundworm, or Baylisascaris procyonis, which can cause nausea, loss of muscle control, tiredness, and more severe symptoms, like coma, blindness, brain damage and enlarged liver.
Baylisascaris procyonic can infect a variety of animals and humans. Roundworm, which develops in the small intestines of a raccoon, produces millions of eggs that are passed in the animal’s feces. Humans become infected when they accidentally ingest infective eggs in soil, water and objects that have been contaminated with raccoon feces. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that before the recent diagnoses, fewer than 25 cases of raccoon roundworm were reported in the United States as of 2003. Click here for more about the rare disease from the CDC.
The New York Daily News reports that several parents in the area are now terrified of the parasitic disease.

"It’s terrifying. God only knows how I would react if my kids became that ill," said Bay Ridge mom of two, Angelia Kane, 38. "The concern for me would be kids being kids. I have a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. When they’re slightly out of sight, they’re going to pick up something in the course of their normal behavior and put their filthy hands in their mouths."

New York City parents, who were already concerned about the swine flu, may be extra careful bringing their children to the playground.


SS

[faithinacure]

Thanks Sadsack: Here's more articles, some pics, different locations, zoonotic issues, etc. Interesting, how finally zoonotic parasitic issues are finally getting discovered. How timely too.

CDC - Raccoon Roundworm Eggs near Homes and Risk for Larva Migrans Disease, California Communities

raccoon roundworm - Google Image Search

Wildlife disease - Raccoon roundworm

Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) enceph...[Pediatrics. 2000] - PubMed Result

Baylisascaris procyonis: Raccoon Roundworm Affects Dogs

Faithxoxoxo

[Katinka]

Cute!!

Katinka

[tcmgpt13]

Originally Posted by Katinka

Cute!!

Katinka

. Twisted .

[Sadsack]

I love furry little animals. My flea bag cat is sitting next to me.

SS

[faithinacure]

Katinka:
You're right. Raccoons are adorable.; it's the tapeworms that infest them that are not so cute and they must suffer greatly as many animals who have these parasites. We are all beautiful too, even though we have this disease.
SadsacK:
We live on a wooded area and our cats like to explore and when they come back in, I am feeling itchy and symptomatic. The stuff I'm using just doesn't work. I adore my cats too, they are like people and our family see them as family. I wish I could keep up with the stuff they get into. I know that they might have or will come in contact with raccoons. They love nature and I can't deprive them of it now that they are getting older and have grown up with it. That's quality of life. I have to explore ways of dealing with what they are bringing in the house.

I hope New York is working on ways to band together with other states and observe how easily disease can spread; travel alone and so many zoonotic diseases on the rise...

Faithxoxo

[-----------]

Originally Posted by Sadsack

A rare disease that can be transmitted through contact with raccoon feces has left one New York City teenager partially blind and an infant brain damaged. The city’s Department of Health has issued an alert for Raccoon Roundworm, or Baylisascaris procyonis, which can cause nausea, loss of muscle control, tiredness, and more severe symptoms, like coma, blindness, brain damage and enlarged liver.

Baylisascaris procyonic can infect a variety of animals and humans. Roundworm, which develops in the small intestines of a raccoon, produces millions of eggs that are passed in the animal’s feces.

Now, that is amazing that they figured out, probably fairly quickly, what was wrong with this teenager? And, the CDC is right on top of it!

[Katinka]

Originally Posted by Sadsack

I love furry little animals. My flea bag cat is sitting next to me.

SS

Me too! Sadsack. I have a little furry friend..he likes to be carried around like a baby..lol...but can't do that anymore..I start itching all over...

And it's not the raccoon nor I to be twisted!! It's the WORMS!!

Katinka

[tcmgpt13]

So glad to hear that everyone is sympathetic towards parents who have very sick children or fear having their child become the next victim of this new parasite. Putting a cute! below the same picture from a post describing the horrors that two children have suffered from this worm, one of them an infant who was brain damaged, is still twisted.

[Sadsack]

But they are victims, too....just like us.

SS