Baylisascaris Procyonis is basically a parasite which raccoons dominantly carry. You may know Baylisascaris Procyonis as Roundworms. It’s also transferable to other wildlife and humans as well. Roundworms don’t adversely affect raccoons directly, infected raccoons seem to do well without treatment. However when Roundworms infect humans, they can eventually be fatal if left without treatment. Their mobility inside the human system can cause internal damage. They travel fast between human organs such as intestines, eyes, brain, liver, heart and tissues. Although there is no currently known cure, there are treatments available for Roundworms. You can learn more at the CDC website. There is also an article on raccoon feces which is a primary infection route.
How To Avoid Roundworms
As professionals who deal with raccoons on a daily basis, we are at a high risk of contracting the infection. When we are providing raccoon removal services in the Toronto area, sometimes we misstep on raccoon feces or make contact by other means. In these situations our technicians disregard their clothing that made contact in disposable garbage bags and tag them for dump sites. Our technicians follow these simple rules.
- Hygiene; Shower thoroughly if you contact raccoon feces especially if it’s dry feces and becomes powderized.
- Dispose of clothes that came in contact of the feces. Use gloves, masks and even goggles. Dispose of them after, taking gloves off last. Shower.
- Don’t attempt to clean raccoon feces unless absolutely necessary (i.e in your front door steps)
- If you must clean raccoon feces, google professional cleaning companies that deal with raccoon feces.
- Inspect your backyard or play areas for raccoon feces before children are let out to play or if you have dogs and pets.
These are some ways you can may be able to use as well to keep safe. If you are concerned about Roundworms, see your family doctor about it.
