Parasitic Infections Linked to Raccoons Found in Los Angeles County

Residents Urged to Take Precautions as Cases Rise

Cases of raccoon roundworm and other parasitic infections are on the rise in Los Angeles County, prompting health officials to urge residents to take precautions.

Raccoon roundworm is a potentially fatal parasite that can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected raccoon feces. Symptoms of infection can include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, the parasite can migrate to the brain and cause encephalitis, a swelling of the brain that can be fatal.

Other parasitic infections linked to raccoons include baylisascaris, a roundworm that can cause severe eye infections, and toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can cause flu-like symptoms and, in rare cases, can lead to birth defects in unborn children.

Health officials are urging residents to take the following precautions to reduce their risk of infection:

* Avoid contact with raccoons and their feces. * Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling anything that may have come into contact with raccoons or their feces. * Keep pets away from raccoons and their feces. * Clean up raccoon feces immediately, using a disinfectant. * Seal up any holes in your home or yard that raccoons could use to get inside. * If you see a sick or injured raccoon, do not approach it. Call animal control instead.

If you think you may have been infected with a parasitic infection, see your doctor immediately.