The conquest of the north continues: <i>Baylisascaris procyonis</i> in free-ranging invasive raccoons (<i>Procyon lotor</i>) from Germany, including a first report in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

ABSTRACT: With exception of the Northeast, the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) is widespread in Germany. This zoonotic parasite can cause neurological disease in paratenic and aberrant hosts, like humans. As the name indicates, raccoons are the definitive host of B. procyonis. However, and despite the successful expansion of the raccoon population, parasite and host ranges do not always overlap. B. procyonis has been largely absent from the northeastern part of the country, notwithstanding the stable presence of raccoons in this area. In this study, faecal and intestinal samples were opportunistically collected from 166 free-ranging raccoons from 9 federal states in Germany. In 68 animals (41.0 %), B. procyonis was identified either through PCR or morphologica

SUBMITTER: Renteria-Solis Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12481708 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature