Source: CIDRAP
In 2024, two children in Los Angeles County contracted raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) infections, with one suffering severe, lasting neurological damage due to delayed diagnosis. The parasite, carried by up to 80% of raccoons in parts of the U.S., is transmitted through ingesting feces or contaminated soil. The patients—a 14-year-old with autism and pica, and a previously healthy 15-month-old—showed symptoms including encephalopathy, vision problems, eosinophilia, behavioral changes, and unsteady gait.
Brain imaging revealed abnormalities, and both were treated with albendazole and corticosteroids. The older child recovered, but the younger developed persistent cognitive, motor, and visual deficits. Investigators traced the teen’s likely exposure to raccoon feces from a rooftop latrine; the younger child’s source was unknown. The CDC urges healthcare providers to suspect B. procyonis in eosinophilic meningoencephalitis cases, especially in young children or those with pica, and stresses public prevention measures—keeping raccoons away from properties, avoiding feces, and safely removing latrines.