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A rare parasitic infection known as raccoon roundworm has been confirmed in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Two people in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County have been diagnosed with the infection , Baylisascaris procyonis, which is caused by a parasitic worm from the raccoon’s intestines. When it infects humans, the parasite can affect the brain, spinal cord and eyes, potentially causing brain swelling and eye disease, the health department warned.
SUPERBUGS DUE TO ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE COULD KILL 39 MILLION PEOPLE BY 2050, LARGE STUDY FINDS After maturing in the raccoon’s intestines , the worms produce eggs that are then passed with the animal’s feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A rare parasitic infection known as raccoon roundworm has been confirmed in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (iStock) After two to four weeks, the eggs become infectious.
The eggs can survive for years in the right conditions. "Aside from its natural host, the raccoon, some accidentally infected species include domestic dogs and humans," Erica Susky, a certified infection control practitioner based in Canada, told Fox News Digital. TICK-BORNE WETLAND VIRUS, NEWLY DISCOVERED IN CHINA, COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO BRAIN, RESEARCHERS SAY "The roundworm infects new hosts via ingestion of the.