title: Baylisascariosis--infections of animals and humans with 'unusual' roundworms.
abstract: The nematode genus Baylisascaris (order Ascaridida, superfamily Ascaridoidea) contains nine relatively host-specific, parasite species of carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, carnivorous marsupials or rodents. They have a facultative heteroxenous life cycle, at least under experimental conditions. Eggs passed in faeces embryonate in the environment and the second-stage larva infective for both definitive and intermediate hosts develops. In intermediate hosts larvae migrate extensively through tissues, where they grow and moult to the third-stage, causing extensive damage. All Baylisascaris spp. are considered a potential cause of visceral, ocular and/or neural larval migrans in mammals including humans and in birds. This paper summarises our current knowledge on the prevalence, biology, pathogenicity and zoonotic significance of three Baylisascaris species: B. transfuga, B. schroederi and B. procyonis which have as definitive hosts bears, giant pandas and raccoons (occasionally dogs), respectively.
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Rudolf-Buchheim-Strasse 2, 35392 Giessen, Germany. christian.bauer@vetmed.uni-giessen.de
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017191:Ascaridida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D001199:Ascaridoidea / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004777:Environment; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D007815:Larva Migrans / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D015995:Prevalence; D011817:Rabbits; D015047:Zoonoses