<unk>  is found abundantly in its definitive host, the raccoon. The parasite has been found to have the ability to infect more than 90 kinds of wild and domestic animals. Many of these animals act as paratenic hosts and the infection results in the penetration of the gut wall by the larvae and subsequent invasion of tissue, resulting in severe disease. In animals, it is the most common cause of larva migrans. The paratenic host, however, cannot shed infective eggs, as the larva will not complete its life cycle until it makes its way into a raccoon. Raccoons are solitary but will frequently defecate in communal areas known as raccoon latrines. These latrines are an abundant source of<unk>  eggs, which can remain viable for years. Raccoons therefore are important in maintaining the parasite, providing a source of infection for humans and other animals. The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) among other small rodents are considered common paratenic hosts. Migration patterns of rodents can explain the spread of<unk>  to multiple locations and the subsequent infection of humans who may come into contact with eggs shed by infected raccoons. The mice may be infected as a result of contact with raccoon latrines. Foraging upon food contaminated with traces of raccoon feces can also lead to exposure to<unk>  eggs. Rodents are easily found in many areas with human population which increases the risk of transmission. The increase in the raccoon population (and inevitably<unk>  has become a major factor for the number of extirpations the Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) has suffered in recent decades.
Baylisascaris procyonis
Gongylonema pulchrum
Toxocara cati
Dipylidium caninum
Echinostoma revolutum
Myriodontium keratinophilum
Trichobacteriosis axillaris
Basidiobolus ranarum