Raccoon infected with raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) found in The Netherlands

The dead raccoon found in the eastern parts of the Dutch province of Gelderland in October 2014, appears to have died from a severe physical impact. The animal’s head injuries point in that direction (see picture 1). The raccoon was a reasonably well-fed female juvenile. The dead animal was found by the ‘Animal ambulance Doetinchem’ and sent to the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre  (DWHC) in Utrecht in order to examine its cause of death.

Raccoon roundworm
From this examination it appeared that the animal had a large number of roundworms in its intestines. Parasitological tests showed that these were Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon roundworm). This roundworm may sometimes also infect humans (zoonosis) and then cause severe neurological  symptoms. More information on this roundworm infection in humans can be found on the RIVM website (in Dutch). It is not known how often raccoons are infected with this roundworm in The Netherlands (1). 

Origin
The origin of the dead raccoon is unclear. In The Netherlands, raccoons are kept in captivity, so it could be an escaped animal. The raccoon could also originate from the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a raccoon population lives wild and where over 8000 raccoons were culled in 2013/2014 (2). Finally, it cannot be ruled out that the dead animal was brought to Gelderland after it died.

Advice
People who find a dead raccoon are advised never to touch the dead animal without gloves and to report the dead animal to the DWHC. Furthermore, owners of raccoons are advised to worm their animals on a regular basis and to ask their veterinarian to implant a microchip in their animals, so escaped and found again animals can be identified.

(1) Maas, M. et al. Baylisascaris spp. risk analysis, RIVM Letter report 125/13Z&O/2013
(2) Jagdstrecke 2013/2014