title: EVALUATION OF ANTHELMINTIC FISHMEAL POLYMER BAITS FOR THE CONTROL OF BAYLISASCARIS PROCYONIS IN FREE-RANGING RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR).
abstract: Baylisascaris procyonis is a common gastrointestinal parasite of raccoons (Procyon lotor) and is a zoonotic helminth with the potential to cause severe or fatal infection. Raccoons thrive in human-dominated landscapes, and the fecal-oral transmission pathway and lack of effective treatment make B. procyonis a serious threat to public health. The distribution of medicinal baits has emerged as a socially acceptable and cost-effective method for managing disease in free-ranging wildlife. We assessed the suitability of a mass-producible anthelmintic bait for B. procyonis mitigation by evaluating the willingness of free-ranging raccoons to consume anthelmintic baits and determining whether bait consumption successfully cleared B. procyonis infections from raccoons. Anthelmintic baits were modified from standard fishmeal polymer baits, the food attractant commonly used in oral rabies vaccine baits, with the introduction of 220 mg of pyrantel pamoate into the fishmeal mixture. We captured 16 naturally infected raccoons, presented one anthelmintic bait, and monitored B. procyonis infection over 90 d by screening feces for eggs. Treatment cleared B. procyonis infections for nine of 12 raccoons that consumed >10 g of the 15 g bait. We used remote cameras to monitor in situ patterns of bait consumption for anthelmintic baits relative to standard baits. Both anthelmintic and standard baits were rapidly consumed, with no differences in the rate of consumption between bait types. However, after bait contact, raccoons demonstrated a greater willingness to consume standard baits while ignoring anthelmintic baits more frequently (P = 0.06). Initial trials of anthelmintic baits show promise, although refinement in both dose and palatability is needed. At mass production scales, the addition of pyrantel pamoate to fishmeal polymer baits would be inexpensive, potentially making anthelmintic baits a viable management option when coupled with an oral rabies vaccine or used independently for B. procyonis mitigation.
authors.affiliation: 1  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Smyser
authors.affiliation: 2  USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
authors.forename: Shylo R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 1  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Stallard
authors.affiliation: 3  College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 200 W Lake Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: McGrew
authors.affiliation: 4  Biology Department, Wheaton College, 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.
authors.forename: L Kristen
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: 2  USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Crider
authors.affiliation: 3  College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 200 W Lake Street, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.
authors.forename: Lora R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Ballweber
authors.affiliation: 1  Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Swihart
authors.affiliation: 2  USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
authors.forename: Kurt C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: VerCauteren
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017191:Ascaridida Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D001199:Ascaridoidea; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics
keywords: Anthelmintic; Baylisascaris procyonis; Procyon lotor; baiting; raccoon; zoonosis