Transmission In central China, B.<unk>  infection rates in giant pandas are very high, being found in around 95% of adult giant pandas and 90% of juvenile pandas. Transmission occurs similarly to other roundworm species, through the fecal-oral route. Eggs are produced by the worm while in the intestine, and the released eggs will mature to an infective state externally in the soil. When an infected egg is ingested, the larvae will hatch and enter the intestine. Transmission of B. schroderi may also occur through the ingestion of larvae found in infected tissue. Life cycle An adult worm lives and reproduces in the intestine of its definitive host, the giant panda. The female worm can produce over 100,000 eggs per day. Eggs are excreted along with feces, and become infective in the soil after 2–4 weeks. If ingested by another giant panda, the life cycle repeats. However, if these eggs are ingested by a possible paratenic host (small mammals, birds) the larvae will penetrate the intestinal lumen of the host and migrate into tissues. Larvae tend to migrate to the brain and other vital organs, cause damage, and affect the behavior of the intermediate host, making it an easier prey for pandas if they needed to eat meat. Reproduction does not occur in these paratenic hosts; however, if a panda were to prey on an infected paratenic host, the encysted larvae could become adults in the panda and the cycle could resume. Because the giant panda is almost entirely vegetarian, chance of infection due to ingestion of a paratenic, or reservoir host is very low and uncommon. Pandas will rarely consume small rodents and branch out from their typical bamboo diet. It is estimated that 99 percent of a panda's diet consists of the stems, leaves and chutes from various bamboo species.
Baylisascaris shroederi
Petasites hybridus
Craniopagus parasiticus
Brachyspira pilosicoli
Chrysomya putoria
Cochliobolus lunatus
Hydnocarpus wightianus
Cedecea davisae