Baylisascaris procyonis, a zoonotic nematode originated in North America, is a significant cause of larva migrans in humans and wildlife. Here we report the first confirmed record of B. procyonis in free-ranging invasive Northern raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the Czech Republic, based on combined morphological and molecular evidence. 10 raccoons were examined from the Doupov Highlands subpopulation between 2023 and 2025, B. procyonis were recovered from three individuals. Morphological and molecular analyses of ITS and COI regions confirmed the species identity, showing 99.3%-100% similarity to known conspecific sequences. This finding extends the recognized range of this zoonotic parasite in Central Europe, underscoring the potential public health risks posed by environmental contamination with infective eggs. Our results highlight the need for ongoing surveillance of invasive raccoon populations to monitor the spread of this pathogenic zoonotic parasites.

Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Department of Zoology Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czechia

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology Mendel University in Brno Brno Czechia

Forestry and Game Management Research Institute Jíloviště Czechia

Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management North West University Potchefstroom South Africa

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