Worms with raccoons - danger or quick shot from the Ballermann?

The hunters' association Oberhessen warns, raccoons could transfer roundworms to humans and thus humans become dangerous and therefore also demands, to "effectively hunt" the raccoon. Biologists and conservationists consider this pure propaganda to shoot down raccoons.

"Fostering fear, spreading hatred"
Thus writes the first chairman of "Protection of the Raccoons e.V .: .:" It is unbelievable what the DJV takes out. Fostering fear, promoting hatred between humans and animals! The gap is getting bigger. If we humans continue to accept it and believe it unchecked, we completely lose the connection to the animals in nature. "

Raccoons carry roundworms like domestic cats and domestic dogs. Hunters use this as a hanger for their demand to kill even more raccoons than before. (Ondreicke / fotolia.com)

Main thing shoot?
The conservationist sees hunting associations spread over other animals fake horror news, so as to justify their destruction: "The fox has the bad fox tapeworm, the wild boar eats the corn fields empty, the deer nibbles the trees, the wolf feeds sheep and humans! Incidentally, you also shoot the rare partridge and the protected rabbits. Oh, not forgetting the creepy crows ... of course some swans, dogs and cats have to be. "

How dangerous is the raccoon roundworm?
The raccoon guard writes: "The raccoon roundworm is no more or less dangerous than that of the dog or cat! Where is the danger of getting infected? Finally, you have to eat the excreted with the feces eggs. This is even more difficult with the raccoon?
There are only 3 cases known in over 80 years, and it was hunters who have been contaminated. "

intermediate hosts
Raccoons of raccoon worm are especially rodents such as mice, squirrels, rabbits and birds. In the case of pets, this applies, for example, to chickens or guinea pigs.

Raccoon toilets
To avoid infection, they can avoid "raccoon toilets," as most people do not rummage in the cat litter box without washing their hands afterwards. Raccoons make their clumps in always the same elevated places - in the nature on branches, in the garden also on wood stacks or attics. Especially children should keep you away from such "toilets".

What happens with an infection with raccoon roundworms??
Humans are a bad host to the larvae of the raccoon roundworm. In order for these to penetrate the body tissue, humans must ingest large amounts of the eggs through the mouth. Even then, usually no symptoms occur. If it comes to consequences, they are mainly in a light fever. Extremely rare diseases of the central nervous system can develop. Only in the United States has there been a handful of such cases in infants over several centuries. The risks apply equally to roundworms of cats or dogs.

risk groups
Ranger groups include foresters, hunters, forest workers, taxidermy tampers, zookeepers, raccoon keepers, and gardeners who have raccoons as co-users. Even with these, however, the risk of becoming infected, extremely low. Nanu Rose adds: "We have more contact and are considerably more intense than any hunter will ever have, and never has a Päppler or raccoon owner been ill with roundworm."

A danger?
A similar "danger" as by the raccoon roundworm could hallucinate for countless animal and plant species. Toxic plants such as foxglove or belladonna are much more dangerous for children if they put them in their mouths, as would be necessary for an infection with the roundworm. Squirrels and rabbits, swans like lizards - natural life sometimes carries pathogens that can affect people.

Nature is full of "risks"
So far, no hunting association calls for the Blue Iron Hat (consumption leads to respiratory paralysis, convulsions and death) or the angel trumpet (death by heart failure) to eradicate, or "effectively hunt" bats (endemic form of rabies). The "raccoon-roundworm danger" postulated by the hunting associations is probably cheap propaganda with the aim of eliminating more animals.

Fear and interest
The Hessian Hunting Association has well understood a technique of domination: to spread panic while claiming to have the means to ward off the imagined threat was and is an effective trick to enforce one's own interests.

A trap?
The raccoon guard advises: "Do not let yourself go into the fencing horn, or in this case lure the hunter in the trap." It could be supplemented: The danger of being held by a hunter for a wild boar and shot dead, is many times greater as the risk of catching serious raccoons: Every year, several dozen people in Germany die from hunting accidents.
(Dr. Utz Anhalt)