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Wild-type Blocking PCR Combined with Direct Sequencing as a Highly Sensitive Method for Detection of Low-Frequency Somatic Mutations
Published on: March 29, 2017
First detection of Baylisascaris procyonis in wild raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Leipzig, Saxony, Eastern Germany
Zaida Rentería-Solís1, Stefan Birka2, Ronald Schmäschke3
1Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. zaida_melina.renteria_solis@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
Abstract:
Baylisascaris procyonis is a zoonotic nematode mainly harbored by the North American raccoon. It can cause severe neurological problems in paratenic hosts and humans. In Germany, raccoons are spread throughout the country. However, the presence of B. procyonis in the German raccoon population has not been thoroughly studied. For this study, 32 wild raccoons were collected in the urban area Leipzig, Saxony, Eastern Germany. Adult ascaroid nematodes were isolated from the intestines and morphologically identified as B. procyonis. Species confirmation was conducted through PCR. In total, adult B. procyonis worms were found in 24 raccoons. The results of the present study add new information about the presence of the parasite in Saxony, Germany. Similarly, the results highlight the importance of the raccoon as a reservoir of zoonotic parasites.
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