Raccoon Populations Research Articles

Enhanced access to anthropogenic food waste is related to hyperglycemia in raccoons (Procyon lotor).

Urban landscapes have well-known effects on wildlife populations. Many species of urban wildlife feed on anthropogenic food wastes, and little is known regarding the sub-lethal physiological consequences of this novel diet. We use samples from three populations of raccoons to test the hypothesis that access to anthropogenic food waste will lead to elevated body mass, blood glucose and serum leptin. Each population varied in their presumed access to food waste. We found that raccoons from the site with the highest presumed access to food waste were significantly heavier and had significantly higher levels of glycated serum protein (GSP, a marker of elevated blood glucose). In addition, GSP concentration was positively related to body mass. No significant differences in serum leptin were detected, nor was serum leptin related to body mass. Urban diets may have significant physiological consequences for urban wildlife related to glucose metabolism. Further research will be needed to determine the evolutionary consequences of the novel urban diet, and whether adaptation is occurring.

Similar yet different: co-analysis of the genetic diversity and structure of an invasive nematode parasite and its invasive mammalian host

Animal parasitic nematodes can cause serious diseases and their emergence in new areas can be an issue of major concern for biodiversity conservation and human health. Their ability to adapt to new environments and hosts is likely to be affected by their degree of genetic diversity, with gene flow between distinct populations counteracting genetic drift and increasing effective population size. The raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis), a gastrointestinal parasite of the raccoon (Procyon lotor), has increased its global geographic range after being translocated with its host. The raccoon has been introduced multiple times to Germany, but not all its populations are infected with the parasite. While fewer introduced individuals may have led to reduced diversity in the parasite, admixture between different founder populations may have counteracted genetic drift and bottlenecks. Here, we analyse the population genetic structure of the roundworm and its raccoon host at the intersection of distinct raccoon populations infected with B. procyonis. We found evidence for two parasite clusters resulting from independent introductions. Both clusters exhibited an extremely low genetic diversity, suggesting small founding populations subjected to inbreeding and genetic drift with no, or very limited, genetic influx from population admixture. Comparison of the population genetic structures of both host and parasite suggested that the parasite spread to an uninfected raccoon founder population. On the other hand, an almost perfect match between cluster boundaries also suggested that the population genetic structure of B. procyonis has remained stable since its introduction, mirroring that of its raccoon host.

Seroconversion of raccoons following two oral rabies vaccination baiting strategies

ABSTRACTSeroprevalence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (rVNA) in raccoons (Procyon lotor) following oral rabies vaccination (ORV) with RABORAL V‐RG® in the United States has annually averaged 30% since 1997, a level that is unlikely to successfully interrupt rabies transmission in raccoon populations. A longitudinal ORV zone is maintained in the eastern United States with raccoon variant rabies established east of the zone but absent to the west. However, questions remain regarding the effect of the bait application strategy towards achieving optimal population immunity. We estimated the number of ORV baits/km2 of raccoon home range and calculated rVNA seroprevalence following 2 ORV baiting strategies: cluster baiting (≤10 baits dropped at a time) via helicopter and hand distribution of individual baits at regular intervals along roads and trails in suburban Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, during fall 2013 and 2014. We applied baits at 75 baits/km2 under both strategies. We established 6 1‐km2 cells in each treatment area, and fitted ≤2 raccoons with global positioning system collars in each cell. We trapped and sampled ≤25 raccoons in each study cell pre‐ and post‐ORV application for rVNA analysis. Overall raccoon home range and core area estimates were 80.7 ha and 17.5 ha, respectively (n = 36). Average bait application for home ranges (n = 32 home ranges that received bait) was 80.9 baits/km2 for helicopter baiting and 63.6 baits/km2 for hand baiting sites. Average bait application for core areas was 104.7 baits/km2 for helicopter baiting and 69.2 baits/km2 for hand baiting sites. All home ranges were baited in both treatment areas, whereas 10/18 and 13/14 core areas were baited in the helicopter and hand distribution sites, respectively. Overall, helicopter cluster ORV delivered more baits/km2 of raccoon home range than hand distribution but was less effective in reaching core areas. Seroprevalence did not change as a function of baiting strategy (helicopter vs. hand baiting). The average overall increase in seroprevalence following ORV application was 8.9%. Evaluation of additional strategies are needed because both methods failed to achieve herd immunity necessary to disrupt rabies transmission in raccoons. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

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

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.

Using Viral Gene Sequences to Compare and Explain the Heterogeneous Spatial Dynamics of Virus Epidemics.

Rabies is an important zoonotic disease distributed worldwide. A key question in rabies epidemiology is the identification of factors that impact virus dispersion. Here we apply new analytical methods, based on phylogeographic reconstructions of viral lineage movement, to undertake a comparative evolutionary-epidemiological study of the spatial dynamics of rabies virus (RABV) epidemics in different hosts and habitats. We compiled RABV data sets from skunk, raccoon, bat and domestic dog populations in order to investigate the viral diffusivity of different RABV epidemics, and to detect and compare the environmental factors that impact the velocity of viral spread in continuous spatial landscapes. We build on a recently developed statistical framework that uses spatially- and temporally-referenced phylogenies. We estimate several spatial statistics of virus spread, which reveal a higher diffusivity of RABV in domestic dogs compared with RABV in other mammals. This finding is explained by subsequent analyses of environmental heterogeneity, which indicate that factors relating to human geography play a significant role in RABV dispersion in domestic dogs. More generally, our results suggest that human-related factors are important worldwide in explaining RABV dispersion in terrestrial host species. Our study shows that phylogenetically informed viral movements can be used to elucidate the factors that impact virus dispersal, opening new opportunities for a better understanding of the impact of host species and environmental conditions on the spatial dynamics of rapidly evolving populations.

Managing Native Predators: Evidence from a Partial Removal of Raccoons (Procyon lotor) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are important predators of ground-nesting species in coastal systems. They have been identified as a primary cause of nest failure for the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) throughout its range. Concerns over the long-term effects of raccoon predation and increased nest success following a hurricane inspired a mark-resight study of the raccoon population on a barrier island off North Carolina, USA. Approximately half of the raccoons were experimentally removed in 2008. Nests (n = 700) were monitored on two adjacent barrier islands during 2004–2013. Daily nest survival estimates were highest for 2004 (0.974 ± 0.005) and lowest for 2007 and 2008 (0.925 ± 0.009 and 0.925 ± 0.010, respectively). The only model in our candidate set that received any support included island and time of season, along with a diminishing effect of the hurricane and a constant, 5-year effect of the raccoon removal. For both hurricane and raccoon removal, however, the support for island-specific effects was weak (β = -0.204 ± 0.116 and 0.146 ± 0.349, respectively). We conclude that either the raccoon reduction was inadequate, or factors other than predation cause more variation in nest success than previously recognized. A multi-faceted approach to management aimed at reducing nest losses to storm overwash, predation, and human disturbance is likely to yield the largest population level benefits.

Predicting invasion risk of raccoon Procyon lotor in Iran using environmental niche models

The raccoon Procyon lotor (Linnaeus 1758) is a native species of North and Central America, but it can be also found as an alien species in parts of Europe and Asia. The raccoon’s flexibility and capability in coping with environmental changes have made it the most successful invader compared with other species. In 1991, a raccoon was recorded in Iran for the first time. Since then, knowledge about the distribution, expansion range, and influences of this species on native ecosystem has remained unclear. The importance of environmental variables for the distribution of raccoons might vary widely across different spatial resolutions; therefore, we developed a robust statistical framework to predict the raccoon distribution across different spatial resolutions in Iran. Our predictions made by species distribution models (ENFA, GARP, and MaxEnt) highlighted the importance of food availability at a small spatial resolution and water resources, settlements, and population density at a large spatial resolution. The models indicate particular areas, mostly located in forests and rangelands near to the Caspian Sea, that can be a potential habitat for raccoons. We observed that the distribution of the raccoon population in Iran almost entirely overlaps with protected areas, which consequently brings about some conflicts with conservation practices and management plans. It is therefore imperative that the local knowledge be strengthened to adequately respond to the threats posed by raccoon invasions of special protected lands.

Assessing Potential Environmental Contamination by Baylisascaris procyonis Eggs from Infected Raccoons in Southern Texas.

Baylisascaris procyonis is a large ascarid of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and is a zoonotic threat. We documented the potential rate a raccoon population can contaminate their environment with B. procyonis eggs. We estimated the population size of raccoons using a 9 × 7 trapping grid of Havahart traps, identified locations of raccoon scats through systematic searches, and enumerated the distance B. procyonis eggs passively travel from site of origin upon scat decay. During an 8-week capture period, the raccoon population was estimated to be 19.6 ± 1.3 raccoons within the 63-ha study area (1 raccoon/3.2 ha). There were 781 defecation sites, of which 744 (95.3%) were isolated sites and 37 (4.7%) were latrine sites. Fifty-three (6.8%) defecation sites occurred in areas associated with human structures (commensal zone). Of the noncommensal sites, 9 (1.2%) and 719 (98.8%) sites were identified as latrine sites and isolated scats, respectively. More latrine sites were located within the commensal zone (p < 0.0001, [Formula: see text]) than proportionately available space. Twenty-five raccoon scats containing B. procyonis eggs were allowed to decay on level bare soil by way of simulated rain events, 13 were allowed to desiccate naturally in the environment, and 12 were allowed to desiccate and, subsequently, experience a simulated 1 cm rain event; eggs were found 49 ± 6, 28 ± 8, and 68 ± 8 cm from the initial scat location, respectively. We calculated that a single B. procyonis-infected raccoon could contaminate 0.03 ± 0.01 ha/year with B. procyonis eggs. Our findings indicate that B. procyonis represents a substantial risk to humans in areas where infected raccoons and humans co-occur.

Protecting Florida Panthers by Protecting Domestic Animals: Building a "Panther-Proof" Pen

Florida panthers once ranged throughout most of the southeastern United States, but loss of habitat and efforts to eradicate panthers during the 1800s led to a large decline throughout much of their historic range. Florida panthers were listed as an endangered species in 1967 and have been federally protected by the US Endangered Species Act since 1973. For the most part, the role of panthers in the natural environment benefits people (they prey on burgeoning populations of white-tailed deer, raccoons, opossums, and feral hogs). Panthers do sometimes kill pets and livestock in rural and residential areas in southwest Florida, however, and some people believe that panther kills happen because panther populations have grown too large or are not well-managed. In fact, the panther population is dangerously small, and most of these losses can be attributed to poor management not of panthers but of pets and livestock. To maintain support for panther conservation, it is paramount that rural residents protect and secure their pets and livestock. This 3-page fact sheet explains how to make a locking, secure enclosure to protect livestock from panther predation—and protect the fragile panther, as well. Written by Phillip D. Rodgers, Elizabeth F. Pienaar, Mark Lotz, and Darrell Land, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, October 2016. WEC378/UW423: Protecting Florida Panthers by Protecting Domestic Animals: Building a "Panther-Proof" Pen (ufl.edu)

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Activity is Better Predicted by Water Availability than Land Cover in a Moderately Fragmented Landscape

Procyon lotor (Raccoon) is a habitat and dietary generalist that reaches its greatest population densities in heterogeneous, moderately fragmented landscapes. Even within such landscapes, a variety of natural and anthropogenic habitat variables can influence the local activity of Raccoons, and therefore their potential impact as nest predators. We examined Raccoon activity at 34 baited track-stations over 3 summers in forested ravines in the Shawnee National Forest (SNF), IL. We found that the dependability of water at a survey site was the best predictor of Raccoon activity, overshadowing any potential influences of land cover in the surrounding landscape. Landscape-level effects on Raccoon population size and density are likely widespread throughout moderately fragmented regions like the SNF, but variation in local activity can be predicted by the distribution of critical resources (e.g., water, den sites).

Baylisascaris procyonis Demography and Egg Production in a California Raccoon Population.

California has more reported human raccoon roundworm cases than any other state due to large and overlapping human and raccoon populations. Infection by this parasite, Baylisascaris procyonis , is relatively benign in raccoons but can cause severe pathology in other species. Disease risk is driven by environmental egg contamination which increases with raccoon density, worm intensity, and worm prevalence. To improve knowledge about risk to humans and other species, 189 raccoons from southern California were examined to investigate how host age and season affect worm abundance, demography, and fecundity. Adult worms were present in animals as young as 10 wk and 100% of 4-mo-old raccoons were infected. Although 80% of sampled raccoons hosted adult B. procyonis , prevalence and abundance were lower in older animals. There were more worms in juvenile than in adult raccoons, resulting in a convex age-intensity profile. Coupled with raccoon demography, this drove fall peaks in parasite abundance and egg production. Eggs per-gram feces averaged 4,606 ± 661 (SE), and this output increased with worm intensity, with no evidence that crowding reduced parasite size or fecundity. High parasite egg outputs from hosts in this California raccoon population increase human exposure risk, and this risk could be reduced by management strategies that target heavily infected juvenile raccoons.

Baylisascaris procyonis Parasites in Raccoons, Costa Rica, 2014.

To the Editor: Baylisascaris procyonis (Ascaridoidea: Ascarididae) parasites are facultatively heteroxenous nematodes that are widely distributed in the United States and Canada, where prevalence rates reach 70%–90%. They colonize the small intestine of their final host, the northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), whose feces can contain up to 25 × 103 eggs/g. Under ideal environmental conditions (100% humidity and 24°C), eggs become infective in soil (1,2). When ingested by other mammalian hosts, third-stage larvae can produce pathologic changes called larva migrans, which can lead to chronic neurologic disorders and even death (1,3). B. procyonis parasite infection of humans occurs by the fecal–oral route (ingestion of eggs in contaminated food) (1). Small children are particularly vulnerable through accidental geophagia. Public health concerns arise where raccoon and human populations overlap.

Genetic variation of mini- and microsatellites and a clonal structure in Enterocytozoon bieneusi population in foxes and raccoon dogs and population differentiation of the parasite between fur animals and humans.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of mammal hosts and birds. Previous genotypic surveys were limited to measure the polymorphisms at the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) that evolved slowly. Data on population structure are available only on E. bieneusi isolates from primates. This study explored the genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of four mini- and microsatellites and performed a population genetic analysis in 39 E. bieneusi isolates of potentially zoonotic ITS genotype D from farmed foxes and raccoon dogs in China. Sequence polymorphisms facilitated determination of six, two, four, and five genotypes at markers MS1, MS3, MS4, and MS7, respectively. Patterns of phylogeny revealed different levels of diversity within and among the genetic markers. Clear genotypic and phylogenetic divergences between E. bieneusi isolates of ITS genotype D from fur animals and humans were observed at individual markers. Complete linkage disequilibrium and very limited recombination in subsequent population genetic analysis supported a clonal structure for E. bieneusi population from fur animals (FID). Phylogenetic analysis, genetic network, and measures of F ST and gene flow demonstrated population differentiation of FID from two known human E. bieneusi populations HID (with a clonal structure) and HIA (with an epidemic structure). The data indicated an ideal resolving power of MLST compared to the previously widely used ITS genotyping and confirmed the clonal nature and population differentiation of E. bieneusi in various hosts.

Which mechanisms drive seasonal rabies outbreaks in raccoons? A test using dynamic social network models

SummaryThe timing of raccoon rabies outbreaks in the easternUSAis non‐random and often exhibits a seasonal peak. While fluctuations in disease transmission can be driven by seasonal changes in animal population dynamics, behaviour and physiology, it is still unclear which causal factors lead to seasonal outbreaks of raccoon rabies.We used dynamic network modelling to test which of three seasonally changing factors are most likely responsible for raccoon rabies outbreaks: (i) birth pulses, (ii) changes in social network structure and (iii) changes in social contact duration.In contrast to previous predictions, we found that a change in social contact duration was the single most important driver of rabies seasonality. More specifically, co‐denning for thermoregulation during the winter increases the amount of time individuals spend in close contact, which in turn should lead to peaks in rabies transmission during the winter.Increased time spent in close proximity during cold winter months has implications for seasonal disease patterns in raccoon populations across a latitudinal gradient, as well as potentially being important for pathogens transmitted by close contact in other wildlife hosts.Synthesis and applications. By incorporating detailed empirical data describing variation in raccoon contacts into a network modelling framework, it is possible to determine the likely causal mechanisms driving seasonal disease patterns. This can be crucial information for wildlife and public health officials implementing wildlife disease control programmes.

Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade.

The fear large carnivores inspire, independent of their direct killing of prey, may itself cause cascading effects down food webs potentially critical for conserving ecosystem function, particularly by affecting large herbivores and mesocarnivores. However, the evidence of this has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. Here we show that experimentally manipulating fear itself in free-living mesocarnivore (raccoon) populations using month-long playbacks of large carnivore vocalizations caused just such cascading effects, reducing mesocarnivore foraging to the benefit of the mesocarnivore's prey, which in turn affected a competitor and prey of the mesocarnivore's prey. We further report that by experimentally restoring the fear of large carnivores in our study system, where most large carnivores have been extirpated, we succeeded in reversing this mesocarnivore's impacts. We suggest that our results reinforce the need to conserve large carnivores given the significant “ecosystem service” the fear of them provides.

Estimates of small Indian mongoose densities: Implications for rabies management

ABSTRACTThe small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) is an invasive species and rabies reservoir in Puerto Rico. In the continental United States, terrestrial wildlife rabies is primarily managed by the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) of the United States Department of Agriculture through oral rabies vaccination (ORV); the distribution of the vaccine baits is influenced by the population density of the target species. The NRMP uses a density index for estimating raccoon (Procyon lotor) population density to guide bait distribution. In Puerto Rico, a wildlife rabies vaccination program does not exist and vaccination of domestic animals is limited and not compulsory. To acquire information on density and other population dynamics, we compared a mongoose density index (MDI) adapted from the NRMP raccoon density index (RDI) to 3 other methods (2 types of capture–mark–recapture [CAPTURE and MARK] and spatially explicit capture–recapture [SECR]) for estimating density that incorporate modeling procedures on detection probabilities, and examined the spatial distribution of mongooses within our study plots. We used the RDI trapping protocol modified for mongooses to livetrap mongooses in El Yunque National Forest (El Yunque) and Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge (Cabo Rojo) in fall of 2011 and spring of 2012 resulting in 4 trapping sessions. The MDI estimates were consistently less than those from other methods for estimating mongoose densities. The MDI detected a greater mongoose density during the wet season (0.55 mongooses/ha) than the dry season (0.34 mongooses/ha) at Cabo Rojo, consistent with all 3 other density estimation methods. Overall, the correlation coefficient between MDI and the other calculation methods was ≥0.68. When we examined known locations of mongooses and travel distances, we detected more mongooses in a smaller area within the study plot at Cabo Rojo than at El Yunque. The MDI provided information on the spatial distribution of mongooses, which will be needed to implement an ORV program to target mongooses in Puerto Rico. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Raccoon contact networks predict seasonal susceptibility to rabies outbreaks and limitations of vaccination.

Infectious disease transmission often depends on the contact structure of host populations. Although it is often challenging to capture the contact structure in wild animals, new technology has enabled biologists to obtain detailed temporal information on wildlife social contacts. In this study, we investigated the effects of raccoon contact patterns on rabies spread using network modelling. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) play an important role in the maintenance of rabies in the United States. It is crucial to understand how contact patterns influence the spread of rabies in raccoon populations in order to design effective control measures and to prevent transmission to human populations and other animals. We constructed a dynamic system of contact networks based on empirical data from proximity logging collars on a wild suburban raccoon population and then simulated rabies spread across these networks. Our contact networks incorporated the number and duration of raccoon interactions. We included differences in contacts according to sex and season, and both short-term acquaintances and long-term associations. Raccoons may display different behaviours when infectious, including aggression (furious behaviour) and impaired mobility (dumb behaviour); the network model was used to assess the impact of potential behavioural changes in rabid raccoons. We also tested the effectiveness of different vaccination coverage levels. Our results demonstrate that when rabies enters a suburban raccoon population, the likelihood of a disease outbreak affecting the majority of the population is high. Both the magnitude of rabies outbreaks and the speed of rabies spread depend strongly on the time of year that rabies is introduced into the population. When there is a combination of dumb and furious behaviours in the rabid raccoon population, there are similar outbreak sizes and speed of spread to when there are no behavioural changes due to rabies infection. By incorporating detailed data describing the variation in raccoon contact rates into a network modelling approach, we were able to show that suburban raccoon populations are highly susceptible to rabies outbreaks, that the risk of large outbreaks varies seasonally and that current vaccination target levels may be inadequate to prevent the spread of rabies within these populations. Our findings provide new insights into rabies dynamics in raccoon populations and have important implications for disease control.

Camera traps and mark‐resight models: The value of ancillary data for evaluating assumptions

ABSTRACTUnbiased estimators of abundance and density are fundamental to the study of animal ecology and critical for making sound management decisions. Capture–recapture models are generally considered the most robust approach for estimating these parameters but rely on a number of assumptions that are often violated but rarely validated. Mark‐resight models, a form of capture–recapture, are well suited for use with noninvasive sampling methods and allow for a number of assumptions to be relaxed. We used ancillary data from continuous video and radio telemetry to evaluate the assumptions of mark‐resight models for abundance estimation on a barrier island raccoon (Procyon lotor) population using camera traps. Our island study site was geographically closed, allowing us to estimate real survival and in situ recruitment in addition to population size. We found several sources of bias due to heterogeneity of capture probabilities in our study, including camera placement, animal movement, island physiography, and animal behavior. Almost all sources of heterogeneity could be accounted for using the sophisticated mark‐resight models developed by McClintock et al. (2009b) and this model generated estimates similar to a spatially explicit mark‐resight model previously developed for this population during our study. Spatially explicit capture–recapture models have become an important tool in ecology and confer a number of advantages; however, non‐spatial models that account for inherent individual heterogeneity may perform nearly as well, especially where immigration and emigration are limited. Non‐spatial models are computationally less demanding, do not make implicit assumptions related to the isotropy of home ranges, and can provide insights with respect to the biological traits of the local population. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Raccoon Spatial Requirements and Multi-Scale Habitat Selection within an Intensively Managed Central Appalachian Forest

Abstract We studied a raccoon (Procyon lotor) population within a managed central Appalachian hardwood forest in West Virginia to investigate the effects of intensive forest management on raccoon spatial requirements and habitat selection. Raccoon home-range (95% utilization distribution) and core-area (50% utilization distribution) size differed between sexes with males maintaining larger (2×) home ranges and core areas than females. Home-range and core-area size did not differ between seasons for either sex. We used compositional analysis to quantify raccoon selection of six different habitat types at multiple spatial scales. Raccoons selected riparian corridors (riparian management zones [RMZ]) and intact forests (> 70 y old) at the core-area spatial scale. RMZs likely were used by raccoons because they provided abundant denning resources (i.e., large-diameter trees) as well as access to water. Habitat composition associated with raccoon foraging locations indicated selection for intact forests, ripari...

Baylisascaris procyonis larva migrans in two white-headed lemurs (Eulemur albifrons) in Spain and response to treatment derived from a human pediatric protocol

Baylisascaris procyonis is a well-known ascaridoid nematode that causes larva migrans in humans and many other animal species. The North American raccoon (Procyon lotor) is the definitive host, which has been successfully introduced in the past decades to other geographical regions around the world. Two white-headed lemurs (Eulemuralbifrons) from a Zoological Park in Lugo, Spain, developed severe neurological signs within a brief period after being transferred from exhibit and placed in close contact with three captive raccoons from the same zoo. One lemur was euthanized due to the severity of disease progression and histopathology revealed granulomatous inflammation and ascaridoid larvae in kidneys, lung, spleen and brain. Larvae were identified as B. procyonis larvae by real time PCR. In light of the results, the cage mate with similar neurological signs was put on an albendazole treatment regimen adapted from a human pediatric protocol. The aggressive anthelmintic treatment likely contributed to the arrest of clinical signs and recovery of some motor skills. Importantly, Baylisascaris procyonis infection might occur in wild raccoon populations in Spain.