Baylisascaris procyonis and eimerian infections in raccoons

Twenty-eight raccoons from Columbus, Ohio, were surveyed for intestinal parasites. Baylisascaris procyonis was found in 7, trichurid eggs in 2, capillarid eggs in 8, trichostrongyloid eggs in 9, and Eimeria procyonis oocysts in 23. Meronts, gamonts, and oocysts of E procyonis were found in epithelial cells at the tips of the villi of small intestine. Meronts were 7 x 5.5 microns and contained 4 to 10 merozoites which were 5 x 1.5 microns. Male gamonts were 15.5 x 11.7 microns and contained numerous gametes. Female gamonts were 13.7 x 11.3 microns. Oocysts were 15.5 x 11.8 microns and had the outer rough wall and the micropyle. Baylisascaris procyonis-embryonated eggs were fed to 2 parasite-free cats, a Toxocara-free dog, a fox, a sheep, a goat, and numerous white laboratory mice. Neither lesions nor larvae were found in nonmurine hosts each fed 5,000 infective eggs; 16 or more eggs of the same inoculum were fatal to each mouse.