News

News, video, newspaper articles, press releases, and podcasts about the project.
App Store Google Play Instagram
08/07/2023
The raccoon, which is invasive in Europe, continues to spread in its new range. As a carrier of various parasites and other pathogens, it is suspected of posing a health risk. With this in mind, 102 raccoons from Baden-Württemberg were examined for intestinal parasites in this study between 2019 and 2020. Four nematode, three cestode and three trematode species were found. Of the raccoons examined, 72.3% were infested with at least one of the parasite species. 6 of the identified parasite species have a human pathogenic potential. These results indicate that raccoons can certainly pose a risk of infection.

Reinhardt NP, Wassermann M, Härle J, Romig T, Kurzrock L, Arnold J, Großmann E, Mackenstedt U, Straubinger RK (2023) Helminths in Invasive Raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Southwest Germany. Pathogens. 12(7):919. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070919
13/01/2023
234 raccoons (Procyon lotor) from Germany were examined in this study regarding their parasite fauna, revealing a remarkably diverse number of parasite species for the first time. In total, 23 species were identified, of which 5 species were described as human pathogens, and 14 species were reported as new for raccoons in Europe. Among them, the raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis was the most prevalent parasite, with a prevalence of nearly 95%. Considering the further spread of raccoons, it is expected that future parasitic diseases may occur in humans as well as in wild, domestic, and farm animals.

Peter, N., Dörge, D.D., Cunze, S., Schantz, A.V., Skaljic, A., Rueckert, S., Klimpel, S., 2023. Raccoons contraband – The metazoan parasite fauna of free-ranging raccoons in central Europe. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 20, 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.01.003
19/11/2022
In the present study, samples from raccoons (Procyon lotor) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) were examined for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and WNV infections. Based on molecular and serological data, infestation of these two wild animal species was confirmed. In future investigations, these invasive predator populations need to be monitored, particularly considering their close contact with humans, especially in urban areas, which could pose a challenge to human health by facilitating transmission from animals to humans.

Keller M, Peter N, Holicki CM, Schantz AV, Ziegler U, Eiden M, Dörge DD, Vilcinskas A., Groschup MH, Klimpel S (2022) SARS-CoV-2 and West Nile Virus Prevalence Studies in Raccoons and Raccoon Dogs from Germany. Viruses 14 (11):2559 https://doi.org/10.3390/v14112559