Raccoon Roundworm

The raccoon roundworm has been found to infect two kids in New York. The things is, while the raccoon roundworm is quite rare, at least as an infection in humans, roundworms of all types are distressingly common.

A rare disease transmitted through contact with raccoon feces has left a New York City teenager blind in one eye and an infant brain damaged.

The city's Department of Health warns parents to be on the alert for raccoon roundworm, which can cause nausea, nerve damage and even death. It says fewer than 30 cases have been reported in medical literature.

Health department spokeswoman Sally Slavinski says parents should supervise children to keep them from eating raccoon feces. Droppings should be picked up using gloves and disposable bags and put in the trash.

Stopping the children from eating raccoon feces is of course a good idea. For the outcome can be a great deal more than just this blindness:

The infant is currently hospitalized and is suffering from seizures and other brain damage.

The causes of the raccoon roundworm problems are detailed here:

People become infected when they accidentally ingest infective eggs in soil, water, or on objects that have been contaminated with raccoon feces.When humans ingest these eggs, they hatch into larvae in the person’s intestine and travel throughout the body, affecting the organs and muscles.

Joyous, eh, being eaten from the inside by the little beggars.

But do remember, there are very similar parasites that can infect cats and dogs. One of the reasons you keep working your pets is that you're not just trying to be nice to them: you're also protecting the kids around them.