Prevention of Baylisascaris

Prevention of Baylisascaris:

How can I prevent infection in myself, my children, or my neighbors?

• Avoid direct contact with raccoons, especially their feces. Do not keep, feed, or adopt raccoons as pets! Raccoons are wild animals.
• Discourage raccoons from living in and around your home or parks by removing access to food. Clear brush so raccoons are not likely to make a den on your property.
• Stay away from areas and materials that might be contaminated by raccoon feces. Raccoons typically defecate at the base of or in raised forks of trees, or on raised horizontal surfaces such as fallen logs, stumps, or large rocks. Raccoon feces also can be found on woodpiles, decks, rooftops, and in attics, garages, and haylofts. Feces usually are dark and tubular, have a pungent odor (usually worse than dog or cat feces), and often contain undigested seeds or other food items.
• To eliminate eggs, raccoon feces and material contaminated with raccoon feces should be removed carefully and burned, buried, or sent to a landfill. Care should be taken to avoid contaminating hands and clothes. Treat decks, patios, and other surfaces with boiling water or a propane flame-gun. (Exercise proper precautions!) Prompt removal and destruction of raccoon feces will reduce risk for exposure and possible infection. Newly deposited eggs take at least 2-4 weeks to become infective.
• Contact your local animal control office for further assistance.