Dr. Judy Sakanari, associate professor and parasitologist in the department of biology at Sonoma State University has co-authored a paper entitled, "Radiologic-pathologic findings in Baylisascaris procyonis infection: 'Raccoon scat encephalitis'" which will be published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology.She, along with authors Dr. Howard A. Rowley, Dr. Rosalie M.Uht, Dr. Kevin R. Kazacos, Dr. Wendy V. Wheaton, Dr. A. James Barkovich, and Dr. Andrew W. Bollen report a case of a parasitic infection in a young boy that had severe consequences. Normally, the parasite called, Baylisascaris procyonis, is found in raccoons. When people accidentally ingest the eggs of the parasite which are found in the raccoon's feces, the parasite can cause neurological damage including, loss of vision and motor functions. One study found that 8 of 12 raccoons in the Northern California area are infected with this worm. Since raccoons live close to residential areas and frequently visit backyards, it is advisable to clean any raccoon feces found in yards and to keep children from coming into contact with the contaminated feces.
Sakanari also published three other papers this year on some of the biochemical and molecular processes that are involved in the pathogenesis of parasitic infections. This past summer, she was a co-organizer of a national meeting of the American Society of of Parasitologists and Society of Nematologists which was held in Monterey. Sakanari is also an associate editor for an internationally recognized journal, "The Journal of Parasitology." She also works with four senior students on their research projects. Simone Haslam and Laura Corbin are currently expressing recombinant proteins in a yeast expression system and biochemically characterizing the proteins; Tami Yarbrough is working on a test to diagnose a protozoan infection in salmon; and Laura Royal is working on the life history of a parasitic worm that is found the sea otter population along the coast of California.
