Tapeworm in fox poop that will slowly destroy your organs is on the rise(arstechnica.com)
arstechnica.com
Tapeworm in fox poop that will slowly destroy your organs is on the rise
https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/04/tapeworm-in-fox-poop-that-will-slowly-destroy-your-organs-is-on-the-rise/
13 comments
But always remember,
"Do not use a propane torch indoors."
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/resources/raccoo...
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/resources/raccoo...
Are a lot of people around foxes?
As they become urbanized ... it seems . Based on article content ...
"...Like other previous studies, the Swiss analysis found a jump in infections starting around 2000. It's unclear what's causing this, but researchers have speculated that habitat expansion of primary host populations, an increased use of imaging in health care, and a more susceptible population may be possible explanations. In the current study, the increase in the number of cases was linked to a "substantial" increase in incidental findings of AE—that is, asymptomatic parasitic cysts were detected inadvertently during medical care. That points to increased imaging. But, in 2021, researchers in Canada reported AE as an emerging disease in Alberta, which they partly attributed to the growing urbanization of coyotes....."
"...Like other previous studies, the Swiss analysis found a jump in infections starting around 2000. It's unclear what's causing this, but researchers have speculated that habitat expansion of primary host populations, an increased use of imaging in health care, and a more susceptible population may be possible explanations. In the current study, the increase in the number of cases was linked to a "substantial" increase in incidental findings of AE—that is, asymptomatic parasitic cysts were detected inadvertently during medical care. That points to increased imaging. But, in 2021, researchers in Canada reported AE as an emerging disease in Alberta, which they partly attributed to the growing urbanization of coyotes....."
I live between San Jose and San Francisco and (sampling bias I mainly ride my bike during the day) I've seen foxes a couple of times in the suburbs (once about two miles outside Cupertino and once in Portola Valley where people like Larry Ellison have an estate) over twenty years, and probably a coyote at least once a month and a bobcat maybe twice a year and three mountain lions over the same time period, a fox is rare to see in the day but they are nocturnal so mostly not active during the day. The average person is more likely to encounter fox scat without knowing that's what it is.
Where I used to live in Paradise, foxes would eagerly come over to within 3m/10' and watch what I was working on outside.
Just remember the failsafe approach to wildlife: assume they are carriers of communicable diseases like rabies, hantavirus, anthrax, plague, bird flu, EEEV, and rare and novel diseases unknown to most doctors or all scientific literature.
Just remember the failsafe approach to wildlife: assume they are carriers of communicable diseases like rabies, hantavirus, anthrax, plague, bird flu, EEEV, and rare and novel diseases unknown to most doctors or all scientific literature.
Yes. Not just foxes but coyotes, wild turkeys too have been been getting along well in suburban areas.
We had wild bats, crows,
vultures, woodpeckers, jays, finches, hummingbirds, eagles, turkeys, peacocks, foxes, deer, and black bear. Also, recovering and "recovering" meth addicts from a halfway house wandering down to the pharmacy 6 blocks away.
Other canids, including dogs, may also serve as a primary host.
Yes. many. In England, urban foxes are everywhere. They come out at night and will poop in gardens.
We'll be seeing increase in other parasites too. Strongyloides (angiostrongylus) is spreading and pretty well embedded in the food chain, with cuban tree frogs and snails as a primary carrier. Baylisascaris tends to stay with racoons, but squirrels and other critters get it too, as well as any predators that eat them. Both are every bit as bad as the fox tapeworms. Strongyloides may be functionally the worst though, because contamination of crops is much easier or probable.
All are very difficult to treat, sometimes impossible
All are very difficult to treat, sometimes impossible
Recently heard a physician who essentially manages every case of this disease in Alberta give a really fascinating talk. The hepatic cysts these worms produce are very difficult to distinguish from cancer on imaging and the infection itself is staged using a PNM system not too dissimilar from cancer's TNM staging.
Nasty and the cure seems more like surgical and chemical follow up. [1] [2]
Being a tapeworm I would have thought ivermectin or one of the newer mectins to be very effective on its own. Apparently that's not the case [3]
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39606163/
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5055586/
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5931691/
Being a tapeworm I would have thought ivermectin or one of the newer mectins to be very effective on its own. Apparently that's not the case [3]
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39606163/
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5055586/
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5931691/
The official recommendation by the CDC is exercising safe hygiene protocols, oh and also a "propane flame gun".
https://www.cdc.gov/baylisascaris/about/index.html