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Title: CEREBRAL LARVA MIGRANS IN A RACCOON (PROCYON LOTOR)

Author
item HAMIR, AMIR - OREGON ST UNIV, CORVALLIS
item SNYDER, DANIEL - ELANCO, GREENFIELD, IN
item Lichtenfels, James

Submitted to: Veterinary Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Nematode larvae of the family Ascarididae can migrate through internal organs of a host and may cause pathology especially in the eyes or the brain. The disease is known as larva migrans in man. The larva of the common ascarid of the raccoon may cause fatal larva migrans in animals and man. This is the first report of cerebral larva migrans in a raccoon. Its structure indicates it may be a larva of the common ascarid of swine which can cause larva migrans. This information contributes to basic knowledge of the causative agents of larva migrans in animals and man.

Technical Abstract: During 1997 gross and histopathological examinations were done on an adult female raccoon (Procyon lotor), which was live-trapped in Corvallis, Oregon, USA. Multifocal eosinophilic granulomas indicative of neural and visceral larva migrans were observed. However, within these granulomas the presence of parasitic larva was only seen in the cerebrum. Morphological characteristics indicated that the nematode was an ascarid larva. However, it was smaller than the larva of Baylisascaris sp. This appears to be the first documented case of cerebral larva migrans in a raccoon.