Article
Parasitology
Andrea Lombardo, Giuseppina Brocherel, Carla Donnini, Gianluca Fichi, Alessia Mariacher, Elena Lavinia Diaconu, Virginia Carfora, Antonio Battisti, Nadia Cappai, Luca Mattioli, Claudio De Liberato
Summary: Italian researchers have reported the first finding of the zoonotic parasite Baylisascaris procyonis in raccoons in Tuscany, highlighting the potential health risks associated with the introduction of non-native species.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Georg Gerhard Duscher, Alain C. Frantz, Anna Kuebber-Heiss, Hans-Peter Fuehrer, Mike Heddergott
Summary: Baylisascaris procyonis, a common gastrointestinal parasite of raccoons, has been detected for the first time in Austria, highlighting the importance of monitoring and providing information about this parasite to the public and practitioners. Genetic profiling suggested that the raccoon and its parasite originated from the nearest German raccoon population.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Alain C. Frantz, Stephanie Lippert, Mike Heddergott
Summary: Reliable microsatellite profiles of host individuals can be obtained by amplifying DNA extracted from a parasitic nematode. This approach can be used to reconstruct invasion pathways of roundworms when samples of the raccoon hosts are lacking.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Beth A. Lipton, Hanna N. Oltean, Roger B. Capron, Arran Hamlet, Susan P. Montgomery, Rebecca J. Chancey, Victoria J. L. Konold, Katherine E. Steffl
Summary: We present a case of Baylisascaris procyonis infection in a child with autism spectrum disorder in Washington, USA. Environmental assessment confirmed the presence of raccoon habitation and B. procyonis eggs nearby. B. procyonis infection should be considered as a potential cause of eosinophilic meningitis, especially in young children and individuals with developmental delays.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Takuya Kato, Fumiaki Yamasaki, Kandai Doi, Mieko Kawamichi, Shin-ichi Hayama
Summary: The morphological characteristics of raccoons in different regions of Japan were investigated, showing that males were larger than females and body length increased with age class, but there was no difference between regions. Cranial size positively correlated with age class, body length, and body mass index in both sexes, but differed between regions for females. These findings suggest that older individuals with larger body sizes have an advantage in intrasexual selection and competition for food resources in raccoons.
Article
Parasitology
Aleksandra Cybulska, Aleksandra Kornacka, Marcin Popiolek, Justyna Bien-Kalinowska, Bozena Moskwa
Summary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of using immunological testing of meat juice for determining the occurrence of Trichinella in raccoons, with positive results in 9.35% of the examined animals. The combination of ELISA and immunoblot approaches showed slight agreement with the digestion method. Meat juice was identified as a simple and convenient sample for detecting anti-Trichinella in raccoons.
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Matthew W. Hopken, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Richard B. Chipman, Clara P. Mankowski, Kathleen M. Nelson, Mikaela Samsel Hilton, Christine Thurber, Mirian T. N. Tsuchiya, Jesus E. Maldonado, Amy T. Gilbert
Summary: This study developed a high-throughput genotyping panel using microhaplotypes to identify the population structure and genetic diversity of raccoons, which is important for rabies management programs. The research revealed a hierarchical population genetic structure of raccoons in the eastern United States and demonstrated that the genotyping method can identify the geographic origin of rabid raccoons, providing useful information for disease control strategies.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Nadine A. Vogt, Benjamin M. Hetman, Adam A. Vogt, David L. Pearl, Richard J. Reid-Smith, E. Jane Parmley, Stefanie Kadykalo, Nicol Janecko, Amrita Bharat, Michael R. Mulvey, Kim Ziebell, James Robertson, John Nash, Vanessa Allen, Anna Majury, Nicole Ricker, Kristin J. Bondo, Samantha E. Allen, Claire M. Jardine
Summary: Non-typhoidal Salmonella and associated antimicrobial resistance genes show potential transmission between humans, livestock, and environmental sources in the Grand River watershed, Ontario, Canada. Raccoons do not harbor these resistance genes and human isolates are more similar to livestock and environmental isolates than to raccoon isolates.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Izabella Mysliwy, Agnieszka Perec-Matysiak, Joanna Hildebrand
Summary: Raccoons and raccoon dogs are considered two of the most successful invasive alien species due to their ability to adapt to urban environments. Their growing populations pose a threat in maintaining and transmitting vector-borne pathogens. This review summarizes current data on the occurrence, diversity, and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in raccoons and raccoon dogs, and highlights the need for further research to understand their epidemiology and assess potential risks to wildlife.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Gregory A. Geller, Scott L. Parker
Summary: The dynamics of freshwater turtle nest predation by mammalian predators are influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors. Different predators use different cues to locate turtle nests. Most of the existing studies focus on North America, and more research is needed in other regions.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shannon K. French, David L. Pearl, William B. Sutton, Andrew S. Peregrine, Claire M. Jardine
Summary: In urban environments, factors associated with the prevalence and transmission of raccoon roundworm infection were studied. The study found that total green space was negatively associated with infection odds, while residential zoning demonstrated a quadratic relationship.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Mike Heddergott, Stephanie Lippert, Annette Schliephake, Wolfgang Gaede, Anna Schleimer, Alain C. Frantz
Summary: The raccoon roundworm has spread to a naive raccoon population in Germany through natural dispersal of infected raccoons. This poses a threat to human health, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring and public awareness.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Wesley C. Dixon, Jacob E. Hill, Richard B. Chipman, Amy J. Davis, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, Guha Dharmarajan
Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture's National Rabies Management Program has used oral rabies vaccination to control the spread of raccoon rabies west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. They deployed vaccine-laden baits primarily targeting raccoons, and the competition for baits between raccoons and non-target species was examined in South Carolina. The study found that raccoons consumed a significant proportion of the baits, but vertebrate competition had a minimal impact on raccoon uptake, highlighting the need to consider the effects of invertebrates on bait consumption.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Pathology
Pedro A. Triana Garcia, Andrew Cartoceti, Verena K. Affolter, Kenneth Jackson, M. Kevin Keel, Dalen Agnew, Thomas Cooley, Julie Melotti, Scott D. Fitzgerald, Patricia A. Pesavento
Summary: Raccoons are abundant in urban/wildland interfaces and play a significant role in the outbreaks of canine distemper virus (CDV) in various species. This study characterized the distribution of CDV and its receptor, nectin-4, in raccoon skin samples. The findings suggest that even normal-looking skin samples can be used for the diagnosis of CDV infection, which can be found in both the epithelium and endothelium. Furthermore, it was discovered that skin secretions, shed keratinocytes, and hair of CDV-infected raccoons could potentially serve as environmental fomites.
VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Shylo R. Johnson, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Kathleen Urchek, Amy T. Gilbert, Scott J. Werner
Summary: Wildlife repellents are useful in reducing negative impacts of wildlife on property, agriculture, and human health and safety. This study evaluated the laboratory efficacy of an anthraquinone-based repellent for raccoons and found that it effectively reduced feeding behavior, but did not significantly alter other behaviors.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)