PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT
Raccoon Parasite
Stay away from
raccoons!
Parents, watch your children!
Don’t let them put dirt or other objects in their
mouths when playing at the park.
Keep their hands clean.
Do a visual check of the area where your child
is playing to make sure no animal feces ("poop")
can be found nearby.
A parasite commonly known as Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris
procyonis) lives in the digestive tract of raccoons. The microscopic eggs
of the parasite are shed in their feces, and a single defecation may carry a
large number of eggs. The eggs must mature to an infective state (2-4
weeks) before they can cause illness. Young children and toddlers
may be more likely than adults to ingest the eggs due to their
behavior of putting dirt and other objects in their mouths.
A very small number of Raccoon Roundworm infections in humans have
been reported, despite the large number of raccoons living in close
association with humans. This suggests that the risk of infection is rare
and remote. Nevertheless, parents should be informed about the potential
for infection and the need for proper precautions.
Do not touch raccoon feces.
Stay away from area and materials that might be contaminated by
raccoon feces. Raccoons typically defecate at the base of or in raised
forks of trees, or on raised horizontal surfaces such as fallen logs, stumps,
or large rocks. Raccoon feces also can be found on woodpiles, decks,
rooftops, and in attics, garages, and haylofts.
Feces usually are dark and tubular, have a pungent odor (usually worse than
dog or cat feces), and often contain undigested seeds or other food items.
Do not keep, feed, or adopt raccoons as pets! Raccoons are wild animals.
Discourage raccoons from living in and around your home or parks by
removing access to food. Clear brush so raccoons are not likely to make a
den on your property. To eliminate eggs, raccoon feces and material
contaminated with raccoon feces should be removed carefully and sent to
a landfill. Care should be taken to avoid contaminating hands and clothes.
Prompt removal and destruction of raccoon feces will reduce risk for
exposure and possible infection. Newly deposited eggs take at least 2-4
weeks to become infective.
Santa Barbara County Public Health Dept.
http://www.sbcphd.
