INFECTIONS WITH BAYLISASCARIS-PROCYONIS BY HUMANS AND RACCOONS

Baylisascaris procyonis is an ascarid which parasitizes the small inte stine of raccoons. The parasite is not very pathogenic in the raccoon because larvae do not migrate in this host. In other animals the larva e migrate through the body. They do not develop into adult worms in th e intestine but rather become encysted in granulomas, showing a prefer ence for the brain, In humans these larvae cause different larva migra ns syndromes. patients with neural larva migrans syndrome show severe brain symptoms and the disease is sometimes fatal. This article descri bes the life cycle of the worm and the incidence, symptoms diagnosis t reatment, and prevention of larva migrans syndromes, paying special at tention to the Dutch situation.