Baylisascariasis: A young boy with neural larva migrans due to the emerging raccoon round worm

Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2018 Dec 12;6(2):397-400. doi: 10.1002/acn3.694. eCollection 2019 Feb.

Abstract

A 17-month-old boy from Vancouver, Canada, presented with a 5-day history of progressive somnolence, ataxia, and torticollis. Additional investigations revealed eosinophilic encephalitis with deep white matter changes on MR imaging. On day 13, serology came back positive for Baylisascaris procyonis antibodies. While prophylaxis after ingestion of soil or materials potentially contaminated with raccoon feces can prevent baylisascariasis, timely treatment can sometimes alter a disastrous outcome. Populations of infected raccoons are propagating globally, but cases of Baylisascaris neural larva migrans have so far only been reported from North America.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Ascaridida Infections / genetics
  • Ascaridida Infections / pathology*
  • Ascaridoidea / genetics
  • Ascaridoidea / immunology
  • Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections / diagnosis
  • Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections / pathology*
  • Encephalitis / genetics
  • Encephalitis / pathology
  • Humans
  • Larva Migrans / diagnosis
  • Larva Migrans / genetics
  • Larva Migrans / pathology*
  • Male
  • Nematode Infections / genetics
  • North America
  • Raccoons / genetics*

Grants and funding

This work was funded by ESPID Fellowship Award grant .