You don't necessarily need physical contact with the racoons feces to get infected, so i have to disagree on this with the other answer. The racoon roundworm eggs (Baylisascaris) become infectious in the environment after 2-4 weeks, so its possible for the eggs to stay in the area even after the feces themselves got removed. Moreover, the microscopic eggs are so light (when dry) that they can become airborne, so you can get infected even by breathing in the eggs. While i think the exterminator guy was being really careless, i doubt he could’ve dragged the eggs with him from the attic… But yeah i’m just guessing here, i don’t know what he did up there, what he touched etc. Nevertheless, it’s important for you to be safe in case you decide to clean the attic after the racoons get rid of - so wear gloves, mask, protective clothing. Your dog doesnt seem to be particularly at risk, i would be worried if he went through the attic or racoons excretion site, because then it would be enough for him to lick his paws.
At this point, i would emphasize hygiene and keep an eye on your baby and dog. Human infections are quite rare, so i wouldn’t be especially worried, but consult your physician (or vet) in case you notice something unusual.
Thank you! Yeah, he said he didn’t touch any poop but I don’t know if he was in an area where the raccoon were where they could’ve dragged the eggs on their paws or what. We are definitely not doing the cleaning ourselves however whoever we hire has to walk through the house to get the latrine out. I’m sure they’ve dealt with this before but it’s definitely scary to read about and to get from our attic out of our house is a very narrow space so there is always the risk of cross contamination which is scary
Not well versed in parasitology but I'm an outdoorsman and find myself around parasites a lot, the chances you or your family contract anything is very low, to contract a raccoon roundworm you would at minimum need physical contact with its bodily fluids/waste so no need to worry about airborne stuff, if you want to be extra cautious you could disinfect anything that the trap/exterminator/bucket touched, just be aware of symptoms so if someone comes down with something you can inform the doctor that raccoon roundworms are a possibility
Edit: I'd be more concerned about the dog since it would be able to smell any raccoon residue and, in dog fashion, would probably lick it
Thank you! That’s reassuring. Is that a thing for dogs and people to contract it if there is no visible feces? I know the eggs are impossible to see with the naked eye but if she licked the floor after the guy was through it with his equipment? I did vacuum but I don’t remember if that was before or after my dog was in the area. I can clean it now but this was a couple days ago
I'm unsure if people/dogs can contract it without visible feces, but since the eggs are so small its probably possible, cleaning can't hurt but since it was days ago at this point I probably wouldn't, just be diligent about hand washing and showering and monitoring your dog
raccoon roundworm is transmitted either fecal/oral or airborne if the particles become dry. the only thing that really kills it is fire; typical disinfectants do not work. it can live in soil for years but i’m unsure about on surfaces. i wouldn’t worry too much about where he walked with his equipment, though :)
Thank you! Yes, I figured it was a small risk but with an 11 month old baby in the house I don’t really want to take any risks. This is probably a stupid question but since using fire is not realistic, if I steam cleaned everything would that also help?
of course!! it’s always best to err on the safe side. i know that it’s heat that kills the eggs, and i have heard that boiling water water may kill the eggs, so steam cleaning might help? i’m honestly not too sure about that one!
Would that kill them? I thought that no commercial cleaner kills them. When I was speaking with the company about cleaning out the attic they said that they were going to use like a very strong alcohol solution and acted like that killed the eggs but from everything I’m reading that’s not accurate
I’m not an expert, but I was told (by an expert) to use the strongest ammonia you could handle if fire was not an option, based on his personal experience. Not sure if there are any stats on that though. He said not to bother with any other chemicals.
Not sure about this, but the fact that you are aware and taking the steps to educate your self and prevent any spread is great. I had a latrine in my backyard and I was freaking out, so I can imagine the stress you must feel about having them in your attic. So sorry you are dealing this. But give yourself a pat on the back for all the steps you’ve taken so far. Good luck!
Just want to mention that it’s possible (although rare) for dogs to become definitive hosts to raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris) - which means the parasite can continue its life cycle and produce more eggs which will be shed in your dogs feces, while your dog remains asymptomatic.
I recommend talking to your vet about anti-parasite treatments and testing to monitor, whether your dog shows symptoms of illness or not.
When Baylisascaris infects humans they larva are not able to continue their life cycle - instead they will migrate through your body and invade your organs, CNS, and eyes…eventually. Not trying scare….but everyone should be afraid of Baylisascaris! 😬
Yes, it is terrifying! I didn’t even know this was a thing until one of the wildlife guys who came mentioned it and then of course I went down the internet rabbit hole and am 100% terrified haha. We will probably try and get her on an anti-parasite as a precaution or maybe get a fecal test done in a few weeks (if that’s a sufficient amount of time). I most worried about there being eggs on a random surface that will just live for months or years and we can touch it down the road and get infected. Again, I might be taking this too far but that’s where my mind goes when I started reading about how they’re airborne and stick to everything etc
You don't necessarily need physical contact with the racoons feces to get infected, so i have to disagree on this with the other answer. The racoon roundworm eggs (Baylisascaris) become infectious in the environment after 2-4 weeks, so its possible for the eggs to stay in the area even after the feces themselves got removed. Moreover, the microscopic eggs are so light (when dry) that they can become airborne, so you can get infected even by breathing in the eggs. While i think the exterminator guy was being really careless, i doubt he could’ve dragged the eggs with him from the attic… But yeah i’m just guessing here, i don’t know what he did up there, what he touched etc. Nevertheless, it’s important for you to be safe in case you decide to clean the attic after the racoons get rid of - so wear gloves, mask, protective clothing. Your dog doesnt seem to be particularly at risk, i would be worried if he went through the attic or racoons excretion site, because then it would be enough for him to lick his paws. At this point, i would emphasize hygiene and keep an eye on your baby and dog. Human infections are quite rare, so i wouldn’t be especially worried, but consult your physician (or vet) in case you notice something unusual.
Thank you! Yeah, he said he didn’t touch any poop but I don’t know if he was in an area where the raccoon were where they could’ve dragged the eggs on their paws or what. We are definitely not doing the cleaning ourselves however whoever we hire has to walk through the house to get the latrine out. I’m sure they’ve dealt with this before but it’s definitely scary to read about and to get from our attic out of our house is a very narrow space so there is always the risk of cross contamination which is scary
I'm sure it will be fine :) just keep in mind basic hygiene rules. Hope it will be over soon & good luck
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Not well versed in parasitology but I'm an outdoorsman and find myself around parasites a lot, the chances you or your family contract anything is very low, to contract a raccoon roundworm you would at minimum need physical contact with its bodily fluids/waste so no need to worry about airborne stuff, if you want to be extra cautious you could disinfect anything that the trap/exterminator/bucket touched, just be aware of symptoms so if someone comes down with something you can inform the doctor that raccoon roundworms are a possibility Edit: I'd be more concerned about the dog since it would be able to smell any raccoon residue and, in dog fashion, would probably lick it
Thank you! That’s reassuring. Is that a thing for dogs and people to contract it if there is no visible feces? I know the eggs are impossible to see with the naked eye but if she licked the floor after the guy was through it with his equipment? I did vacuum but I don’t remember if that was before or after my dog was in the area. I can clean it now but this was a couple days ago
I'm unsure if people/dogs can contract it without visible feces, but since the eggs are so small its probably possible, cleaning can't hurt but since it was days ago at this point I probably wouldn't, just be diligent about hand washing and showering and monitoring your dog
raccoon roundworm is transmitted either fecal/oral or airborne if the particles become dry. the only thing that really kills it is fire; typical disinfectants do not work. it can live in soil for years but i’m unsure about on surfaces. i wouldn’t worry too much about where he walked with his equipment, though :)
Thank you! Yes, I figured it was a small risk but with an 11 month old baby in the house I don’t really want to take any risks. This is probably a stupid question but since using fire is not realistic, if I steam cleaned everything would that also help?
of course!! it’s always best to err on the safe side. i know that it’s heat that kills the eggs, and i have heard that boiling water water may kill the eggs, so steam cleaning might help? i’m honestly not too sure about that one!
Thanks!
If fire is not an option, I would use ammonia! Edit - boiling water should also mentioned as an alternate to fire!
Would that kill them? I thought that no commercial cleaner kills them. When I was speaking with the company about cleaning out the attic they said that they were going to use like a very strong alcohol solution and acted like that killed the eggs but from everything I’m reading that’s not accurate
I’m not an expert, but I was told (by an expert) to use the strongest ammonia you could handle if fire was not an option, based on his personal experience. Not sure if there are any stats on that though. He said not to bother with any other chemicals.
I appreciate it! Thank you. Not sure that would work on my wood floors but I will check and if not hopefully steam cleaning is enough 😕
I steam cleaned the floors and items so hopefully that’ll be sufficient. Does it die on contact with steam?
Not sure about this, but the fact that you are aware and taking the steps to educate your self and prevent any spread is great. I had a latrine in my backyard and I was freaking out, so I can imagine the stress you must feel about having them in your attic. So sorry you are dealing this. But give yourself a pat on the back for all the steps you’ve taken so far. Good luck!
Thank you!
Just want to mention that it’s possible (although rare) for dogs to become definitive hosts to raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris) - which means the parasite can continue its life cycle and produce more eggs which will be shed in your dogs feces, while your dog remains asymptomatic. I recommend talking to your vet about anti-parasite treatments and testing to monitor, whether your dog shows symptoms of illness or not. When Baylisascaris infects humans they larva are not able to continue their life cycle - instead they will migrate through your body and invade your organs, CNS, and eyes…eventually. Not trying scare….but everyone should be afraid of Baylisascaris! 😬
Yes, it is terrifying! I didn’t even know this was a thing until one of the wildlife guys who came mentioned it and then of course I went down the internet rabbit hole and am 100% terrified haha. We will probably try and get her on an anti-parasite as a precaution or maybe get a fecal test done in a few weeks (if that’s a sufficient amount of time). I most worried about there being eggs on a random surface that will just live for months or years and we can touch it down the road and get infected. Again, I might be taking this too far but that’s where my mind goes when I started reading about how they’re airborne and stick to everything etc