Bayliascaris and wildlife rehabbers

[HRT4SQRLS]

There is an interesting study published in the current Dec 2016 Emerging Infectious Diseases. EID is published by the CDC. The study was on exposure by wildlife rehabbers to the the raccoon roundworm Bayliascaris

347 wildlife rehabbers in the US and Canada were tested for antibodies to Bayliascaris. 7% (24) tested positive for antibodies. These were asymptomatic individuals. This shows that sub-clinical exposure is taking place among wildlife rehabbers. Apparently not all exposures result in the highly fatal neurological infection that we are all familiar with but, IMO it also highlights the need to improve our awareness and infection control practices when handling raccoons in particular and all wildlife in general.

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/12/16-0467_article

[island rehabber]

Wow. I will cross-post this on FB, where I seem to have a large number of raccoon-rehabber Friends.
Very scary stuff, even when you don't rehab coonies, since the rest of us are forever messing around in dirt, caging, and other areas of our own yards or release sites where there could very well be raccoon latrines -- without us realizing it. Thank you, Patti.

[Nancy in New York]

So what are the symptoms of having the antibodies to Bayliascaris?
Is there a treatment if you test positive?

[HRT4SQRLS]

Nancy, that was a typo. :embar I asked Maura to correct it. There are no symptoms to having antibodies. It just means significant exposure.

There are a lot of unknowns related to Bayliasacaris but based on other round worms there can be sub-clinical infections (antibodies present) where it is presumed that the parasite migrates to places other than the brain or eyes. Of course, migration to the brain or eyes will produce the neurological symptoms and death that we are familiar with.