Prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis in wild rodents in central Georgia, USA

Abstract

Raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, is a zoonotic parasite of raccoons (Procyon lotor) that needs a One Health approach to better inform risks to human and animal health. The few studies on B. procyonis in wild rodents have primarily focused on white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and rodent host range of B. procyonis in Georgia (USA) and investigate differences in prevalence at urban/fragmented sites and rural/agriculture sites. We sampled 99 rodents of five species. Larvae were recovered from seven of 78 (9.0%) white-footed mice with a mean of 4.4 larvae (range 1–12). One mouse had a single larva in the brain. Prevalence was not different between urban and rural sites. This report extends the geographic range of this parasite and confirms that rodents serve as paratenic hosts in the southern range. Therefore, baylisascariasis should be considered a differential for neurologic domestic animals, wildlife, or people in this region.