RACCOON LATRINE STRUCTURE AND ITS POTENTIAL ROLE IN TRANSMISSION OF BAYLISASCARIS-PROCYONIS TO VERTEBRATES

Baylisascaris procyonis, the common large roundworm of raccoons (Procy on lotor), causes clinical neurologic disease in many species of mamma ls and birds. Infective eggs of B. procyonis are present at raccoon la trine sites, and these sites may be important in the transmission of t his parasite to syntopic small vertebrates in forested areas. We locat ed raccoon latrines in forested sites in Indiana, sampled soil and fec al material fi om these locations. and examined these samples for the presence of Baylisascaris procyonis eggs. We also quantified the struc tural characteristics of raccoon latrines in wooded areas, compared th eir characteristics with randomly located sites, and classified sites based on structural features using stepwise discriminant function anal ysis. B. procyonis eggs were present at 14% of the raccoon latrines sa mpled. Latrine sites differed from randomly located sites and exhibite d characteristics generally associated with treefall gaps. Most latrin es were located either on logs (49%) or at the base of large trees (37 %). Structural features surrounding latrines often are important trave l routes or foraging areas for various small vertebrates. The visitati on of mammals and birds to sites exhibiting these structural features may result in infection with B. procyonis. In this way, Baylisascaris procyonis could have long-term impacts on populations of native mammal s and birds.