As I study material on raccoons I often come across references to disease and parasites. I have investigated many of these and learned quite a bit about health risks associated with raccoons. I am convinced that we must be aware of these risks and take common sense precautions.
Lets
start out with rabies,
the most notorious disease transmitted by raccoons. I had heard of raccoon
rabies on the east coast, but had never taken it too seriously. I live in
Minnesota and the occurrence of raccoon rabies here is nonexistent. Well I've
been warned that it could reach my area and sooner rather than later. Raccoon
rabies, first noted in the Georgia/Florida area in the 1950s, has been spreading
steadily. During the 1970’s a major outbreak of raccoon rabies struck the
Mid-Atlantic States. It has been confirmed that some raccoons imported into this
area, were infected with rabies, even though they had legal permits and health
certificates. Apparently, it once was common for raccoons to be shipped to other
states to increase local populations for hunting. Raccoon rabies is now well
established in the east coast states and is spreading. I have read that raccoon
rabies is already in eastern Ohio and moving west 30 miles per year. Estimates
are that 30% to 50% of all raccoons east of Ohio, and from Maine to Florida, are
infected with rabies.
Rabies
is a viral infection of the central nervous system that infects both humans and
animals. Rabies can be contracted if you are bitten or sometimes even scratched
or licked by an infected animal. The virus travels slowly through the body
towards the brain. The time between exposure to the virus and the beginning of
symptoms can range anywhere from five days to over a year.
With
rabies so widespread it only makes sense to take some basic precautions. Getting
all of your animal rabies vaccinations up to date is first on the list. As an
example, house cats in New York became a major carrier of raccoon rabies because
so many had not had their shots. If you are skinning coons you might consider
wearing rubber gloves & washing your hands often.
People
who are likely to come in direct contact with live raccoons may want to take
further precautions. In my case, I live-trap a lot of raccoons & I have been
bitten several times. In my case it made sense for me to receive pre-exposure
immunization. This is a series of three injections given in the upper arm.
Pre-exposure vaccination does not make you immune to rabies; it just means that
fewer post-exposure shots will be needed. The three shots cost me about $240,
half of which was covered by my insurance.
The
vast majority of people will never have to go beyond the basic precaution stage.
Still, it doesn't hurt to know what to do after a wild raccoon bites you. The
first thing is try to catch the animal. Kill it if necessary but be careful not
to damage the brain. Once you have the suspect animal, contact your local health
department and take it where they tell you so it can be checked for rabies.
(This goes for any wild animal that bites you.) Hopefully the test results will
be negative and you can relax.
If
you are unlucky enough to be bitten by a raccoon that tests positive for rabies
(or one that gets away), then you will need post-exposure immunization. The good
news is that the modern treatment is greatly improved over those of the past and
only requires five injections in the upper arm. The bad news is that the cost of
treatment can range from $1,000 to $2000. Since the alternative is death, you
will probably want to pay for the service.
Raccoon
rabies has received a lot of attention in recent years but it is just one of
many strains. Examples of these appeared in Texas beginning in 1988. There were
two rabies outbreaks, one involving coyotes and dogs and the other gray foxes.
Since 1990, four human lives have been lost to rabies in Texas and over 2,500
people have taken post-exposure injections.
Larvae
from baylisascaris procyonis
are probably the next most dangerous health risk associated with raccoons. They
have been nicknamed “brain worms” by Kevin Kazacos, a professor of
veterinary parasitology at Purdue University. He states, “The larvae burrow
into your brain, then you die.”
It
turns out that baylisascaris procyonis is a common roundworm parasite of
raccoons. The roundworm parasite usually occurs wherever raccoons are found with
estimates that 70% to 80% in the Midwest are infected. The threat of the disease
in humans comes from the eggs of the roundworm.
The
roundworm eggs commonly are found in raccoon latrines where they can remain
viable for years. The usual route of transmission to humans is ingestion.
Consequently children are the most likely to be stricken due to the habit of
eating dirt. The disease in humans is rare and seldom diagnosed until more
common causes of neurological disorder have been ruled out. Generally, by the
time this disease is recognized it's too late to prevent damage. Since the
1940s, at least 10 children, and one adult, have come down with fatal or severe
neurological disease from roundworm larva.
Washing
your hands is probably the single most important precaution you can take,
especially when you are skinning raccoons. Cleaning out areas where raccoon
latrines is difficult but may be necessary. It takes steam or heat from a
propane torch to kill roundworm eggs since they are very resistant to
disinfectants.
Leptospira
is yet another disease that
can spread to humans from the raccoon. A study conducted by University of
Illinois veterinary school found many raccoons carry bacteria called Leptospira.
In humans, the bacteria can cause flu-like symptoms that can be treated with
antibiotics. In fact it is suspected that in most cases, people mistake
leptospirosis for the flu. It is worth mentioning that untreated; the disease
can cause kidney failure and even death.
In
wild raccoon populations, distemper
is the most common disease causing mortality. Raccoons are at risk to both
canine and feline distemper. Thankfully, distemper cannot be transmitted to
humans. However, distemper can infect your coonhounds and reap grim
consequences.
Distemper
is a highly contagious and virulent disease that is transmitted in the air or by
contact with contaminated objects. The disease can be contracted simply through
inhalation of the virus. Typical signs of distemper include lack of fear,
aggressiveness, disorientation, lack of alertness, convulsive movements of the
head and paws, and aimless wandering. No treatment exists for distemper and
localized die-offs of raccoons occur yearly from this disease. This can explain
why an area in some years may have very few raccoons. Dogs are very susceptible
to the canine virus and regular vaccinations are recommended.
Parvovirus
transmitted by raccoons was mentioned
in one account I read but I have not yet been able to verify this. Still, it is
probably worth mentioning the disease details here. This is another disease that
cannot be transmitted to humans. It does infect canines though, especially
puppies. The virus is transmitted by ingestion of contaminated feces. Parvo is
extremely hardy and survives for long periods outside its host for up to 6
months. It can easily survive winter under a blanket of snow. Signs of the
disease are vomiting and diarrhea and may go unnoticed. A full-blown case of
parvovirus left untreated can easily be fatal. Treatment for the disease can
include antibiotics, antitoxins. Most dogs will survive even severe cases of
parvovirus with veterinary treatment. Vaccination is preferred in the prevention
of parvovirus. Should your kennels become infected with the parvovirus, bleach
is one of the only effective disinfecting agents.
My
personal feeling
is that you should not let your guard down where disease and parasites are
concerned. If you take the necessary precautions you will probably never have to
worry about any of these diseases. In most cases it is just a matter of a few
common sense items.