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Wait LF, Johnson SR, Nelson KM, Chipman RB, Pogmore FE, Dobson AP, Graham AL. Demographic, environmental and physiological predictors of gastrointestinal parasites in urban raccoons. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:116-128. [PMID: 37575663 PMCID: PMC10422125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Raccoons are host to diverse gastrointestinal parasites, but little is known about the ecology of these parasites in terms of their interactions with each other during coinfections, their interactions with host physiology and environmental factors, and their impact on raccoon health and survival. As a first step, we investigated the patterns of parasite infection and their demographic distribution in an urban-suburban population of raccoons trapped in the summers and autumns of 2018 and 2019. We collected faecal samples, demographic data, morphometric measurements, and blood smears, and used GPS data to classify trapping location by land cover type. Faecal floats were performed to detect and quantify gastrointestinal nematode eggs and coccidia oocysts, and white blood cell differentials were performed on blood smears to characterise white blood cell distributions. Data were analysed cross-sectionally and, where possible, longitudinally, using generalised linear models. Overall, 62.6% of sampled raccoons were infected with gastrointestinal nematodes, and 82.2% were infected with gastrointestinal coccidia. We analysed predictors of infection status and faecal egg count for three different morphotypes of nematode-Baylisascaris, strongyle, and capillariid nematodes-and found that infection status and egg count varied with Year, Month, Age class, Land cover, and coinfection status, though the significance of these predictors varied between nematode types. Gastrointestinal coccidia prevalence varied with Year, Month, Age class, strongyle infection status, and capillariid infection status. Coccidia oocyst counts were lower in adults and in October, but higher in females and in raccoons trapped in areas with natural land cover; furthermore, coccidia oocysts were positively associated with capillariid faecal egg counts. We found no evidence that gastrointestinal parasites influenced raccoon body condition or overwinter mortality, and so conclude that raccoons, though harbouring diverse and abundant gastrointestinal parasites, may be relatively tolerant of these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana F. Wait
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Shylo R. Johnson
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Nelson
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, National Rabies Management Program, Concord, NH, 03301, USA
| | - Richard B. Chipman
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, National Rabies Management Program, Concord, NH, 03301, USA
| | - Frederick E. Pogmore
- US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Wildlife Services, Berlin, VT, 05602, USA
| | - Andrew P. Dobson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
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The urban myth: A lack of agreement between definitions of urban environments used in wildlife health research may contribute to inconsistent epidemiological findings. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01213-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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3
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French SK, Pearl DL, Sutton WB, Peregrine AS, Jardine CM. Environmental factors associated with Baylisascaris procyonis infection from a population of raccoons in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01177-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Abstract
Rates of urbanization are increasing globally, with consequences for the dynamics of parasites and their wildlife hosts. A small subset of mammal species have the dietary and behavioural flexibility to survive in urban settings. The changes that characterize urban ecology—including landscape transformation, modified diets and shifts in community composition—can either increase or decrease susceptibility and exposure to parasites. We used a meta-analytic approach to systematically assess differences in endoparasitism between mammals in urban and non-urban habitats. Parasite prevalence estimates in matched urban and non-urban mammal populations from 33 species were compiled from 46 published studies, and an overall effect of urban habitation on parasitism was derived after controlling for study and parasite genus. Parasite life cycle type and host order were investigated as moderators of the effect sizes. We found that parasites with complex life cycles were less prevalent in urban carnivore and primate populations than in non-urban populations. However, we found no difference in urban and non-urban prevalence for parasites in rodent and marsupial hosts, or differences in prevalence for parasites with simple life cycles in any host taxa. Our findings therefore suggest the disruption of some parasite transmission cycles in the urban ecological community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney S Werner
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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DEMOGRAPHIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS INFECTION OF RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR) IN ONTARIO, CANADA. J Wildl Dis 2020. [DOI: 10.7589/2019-06-153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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French SK, Pearl DL, Peregrine AS, Jardine CM. Baylisascaris procyonis infection in raccoons: A review of demographic and environmental factors influencing parasite carriage. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2019; 16:100275. [PMID: 31027589 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2019.100275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Baylisascaris procyonis, the roundworm of raccoons (Procyon lotor), is an emerging helminthic zoonosis in North America. Since the larval form is capable of causing neurological disease in more than 150 species of birds and mammals including humans, understanding factors that influence carriage of the parasite by raccoons is important for mitigating risk. This review examines the current literature to identify major demographic and environmental risk factors associated with B. procyonis carriage in wild raccoons. Raccoon age and season of sample collection were most commonly identified as risk factors, with increased prevalence found in juvenile animals and when sample collection occurred in the fall. Human urbanization and agricultural land use were also observed as potential risk factors; however, there are inconsistencies in the direction of influence these risk factors have on the prevalence of infection. Further investigation into the role of environmental risk factors is required to better understand how human activities influence parasite carriage in raccoons. Additionally, future research using multivariable statistical models guided by epidemiological principles to control for confounding variables and identify interaction effects will help clarify the effect of these demographic and environmental factors. Developing a better understanding of the primary risk factors for parasite carriage in raccoons will help identify areas of higher risk for environmental contamination and will aid in the development and refinement of education and management programs to reduce the risk of human exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon K French
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - David L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Andrew S Peregrine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Claire M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Sapp SGH, Rascoe LN, Wilkins PP, Handali S, Gray EB, Eberhard M, Woodhall DM, Montgomery SP, Bailey KL, Lankau EW, Yabsley MJ. Baylisascaris procyonis Roundworm Seroprevalence among Wildlife Rehabilitators, United States and Canada, 2012-2015. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 22:2128-2131. [PMID: 27869612 PMCID: PMC5189140 DOI: 10.3201/eid2212.160467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Baylisascaris procyonis roundworms can cause potentially fatal neural larva migrans in many species, including humans. However, the clinical spectrum of baylisascariasis is not completely understood. We tested 347 asymptomatic adult wildlife rehabilitators for B. procyonis antibodies; 24 were positive, suggesting that subclinical baylisascariasis is occurring among this population.
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Al-Warid HS, Belsare AV, Straka K, Gompper ME. Baylisascaris procyonis roundworm infection patterns in raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Missouri and Arkansas, USA. Helminthologia 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/helm-2017-0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Summary
Baylisascaris procyonis is a helminth parasite of raccoons Procyon lotor and represents a health concern in paratenic hosts, including humans and diverse domestic and wildlife species. In North America the helminth is expanding its geographic range. To better understand patterns of infection in the Ozark region of the USA, raccoons (n = 61) were collected in 2013-2014 from five counties in Missouri and Arkansas, USA and necropsied. We documented B. procyonis in all surveyed locations. The overall prevalence of B. procyonis was 44.3 % (95 % CI = 31.9 - 57.4) and was significantly higher in females than males. There were also significant differences in prevalence among raccoons sampled north and south of the Missouri River. Mean intensity was 9.9 (CI = 5.44 - 17.22), and parasites were highly aggregated among hosts such that approximately 20 % of hosts harbor 90 % of parasites. These levels of parasitism indicate that B. procyonis is common in the region and its impacts on paratenic hosts could be qualitatively similar to effects observed in other localities.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. S. Al-Warid
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building , Columbia , MO 65211, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 405A Tucker Hall , Columbia , MO 65211, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Baghdad Al-Jadriyah, Baghdad , Iraq
| | - A. V. Belsare
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building , Columbia , MO 65211, USA
| | - K. Straka
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Resource Science Center, 3500 East Gans Road , Columbia , MO 65201, USA
| | - M. E. Gompper
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building , Columbia , MO 65211, USA
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Cerebral Larva Migrans Caused by Baylisascaris spp. in a Free-ranging North American Porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum ). J Wildl Dis 2016; 52:763-5. [PMID: 27314480 DOI: 10.7589/2015-11-316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A free-ranging North American porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum ) from Utah, US, exhibited neurologic symptoms and was submitted for necropsy. Histologic examination of the brain revealed severe encephalitis with an intralesional nematode larva consistent with Baylisascaris spp. Neurologic larva migrans had not been reported in free-ranging porcupines, or from wildlife in Utah.
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Graeff-Teixeira C, Morassutti AL, Kazacos KR. Update on Baylisascariasis, a Highly Pathogenic Zoonotic Infection. Clin Microbiol Rev 2016; 29:375-99. [PMID: 26960940 PMCID: PMC4786883 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00044-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon roundworm, infects a wide range of vertebrate animals, including humans, in which it causes a particularly severe type of larva migrans. It is an important cause of severe neurologic disease (neural larva migrans [NLM]) but also causes ocular disease (OLM; diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis [DUSN]), visceral larva migrans (VLM), and covert/asymptomatic infections. B. procyonis is common and widespread in raccoons, and there is increasing recognition of human disease, making a clinical consideration of baylisascariasis important. This review provides an update for this disease, especially its clinical relevance and diagnosis, and summarizes the clinical cases of human NLM and VLM known to date. Most diagnosed patients have been young children less than 2 years of age, although the number of older patients diagnosed in recent years has been increasing. The recent development of recombinant antigen-based serodiagnostic assays has aided greatly in the early diagnosis of this infection. Patients recovering with fewer severe sequelae have been reported in recent years, reinforcing the current recommendation that early treatment with albendazole and corticosteroids should be initiated at the earliest suspicion of baylisascariasis. Considering the seriousness of this zoonotic infection, greater public and medical awareness is critical for the prevention and early treatment of human cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
- Faculdade de Biociências and Instituto de Pesquisas Biomédicas, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Loureiro Morassutti
- Faculdade de Biociências and Instituto de Pesquisas Biomédicas, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Kevin R Kazacos
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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Gordon CA, McManus DP, Jones MK, Gray DJ, Gobert GN. The Increase of Exotic Zoonotic Helminth Infections: The Impact of Urbanization, Climate Change and Globalization. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 91:311-97. [PMID: 27015952 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic parasitic diseases are increasingly impacting human populations due to the effects of globalization, urbanization and climate change. Here we review the recent literature on the most important helminth zoonoses, including reports of incidence and prevalence. We discuss those helminth diseases which are increasing in endemic areas and consider their geographical spread into new regions within the framework of globalization, urbanization and climate change to determine the effect these variables are having on disease incidence, transmission and the associated challenges presented for public health initiatives, including control and elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Gordon
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Malcolm K Jones
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Darren J Gray
- Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Geoffrey N Gobert
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Division, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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EVALUATION OF ANTHELMINTIC FISHMEAL POLYMER BAITS FOR THE CONTROL OF BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS IN FREE-RANGING RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR). J Wildl Dis 2015; 51:640-50. [DOI: 10.7589/2014-09-236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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