The Prevalence of Baylisascaris Procyonis in Merrick County, Nebraska

Overview

This project was conducted in Merrick County, Nebraska, to compare differences in prevalence of Baylisascaris procyonis (raccoon roundworm) in areas in close proximity to human dwellings and in those not in close proximity to human dwellings. It was hypothesized that the presence and egg count of B. procyonis in Procyon lotor (raccoon) would differ according to proximity to human dwellings, and that there would be more positive than negative samples. Necropsies and fecal flotation were performed on 40 raccoon carcasses to test the hypotheses. 60% of the samples were positive and 40% were negative, so the hypothesis that more of the samples would be positive than negative was supported. A Chi-square test showed a significant difference in prevalence according to location, with the disease having a higher prevalence in areas closer to human dwellings. The null hypothesis that there would be no difference in prevalence according to location was rejected. Although there was a small difference in the number of eggs between the groups, the difference was not found to be statistically significant, so the hypothesis pertaining to the eggs was not supported. More extensive testing should be conducted on the transmission of this disease, as well as determining how prevalent it is in household pets and farm animals. Continued research of this nature is very important, because B. procyonis can be lethal to humans. It is important to make the public aware of this disease, so precautions can be taken to avoid transmission.

Competition history

• AJAS 2019 Category not listed

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