Raccoons do more than just dig through the trash in urban areas and suburbs. They do their business in public areas and in people’s yards, and raccoon poop can contain eggs from a roundworm called Baylisascaris procyonis, which can infect humans if it’s ingested (this is more of an issue for children who spend time out side and play in the dirt).
This part is gross: When ingested, the eggs release the worm, which can burrow into the eyes and brain causing blindness or even death, in rare cases – really rare. Only 30 cases in the last 30 years have been reported in the U.S.
But a new study led by Kristen Page, an ecologist at Wheaton College in Illinois, has found a way to dramatically decrease the amount of infections in raccoons, and potentially in humans, with the help of a marshmallow treat.
At about 60 different sites around the Chicago area, marshmallows creme laced with pyrantel pamoate was put around to bait the raccoons. The drug is commonly used to deworm dogs and cats. After a year of doing this experiment, the amount of raccoon poop that tested positive for the worm went down from 13 percent to just 3 percent.
For the most part, if you live in an area with a lot of raccoons, keep an eye out for poop in your yard and throw it away (wear gloves), and make sure either you or your kids wash their hands after playing outside.
[Photo from flickr user Triker-Sticks]
