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Don’t Approach That Raccoon!

Learn About The Most Common Zoonotic Diseases Carried By Raccoons!

 

If you’re having issues with raccoons in your home, you may be tempted to take things into your own hands, and scare them off – or remove their nests on your own. But you should be careful when interacting with raccoons.

Raccoons often carry zoonotic disease like rabies and more – and if you are attacked by a raccoon, you could be in serious danger. Instead, you should trust professional raccoon removal services providers like Wildlife Troopers to take care of your pest issues. Learn more about the diseases commonly carried by raccoons below!

What Is A Zoonotic Disease?

In simple English, a zoonotic disease is any disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Currently, out of a total of around 1,400 infectious diseases and pathogens known to humans, about 61% can be transmitted by animals.

One of the best examples of this is the Black Plague, or Black Death. This disease wiped out nearly half of Europe’s population in the mid-14th century, and was transmitted by fleas which were carried by rodents.

Almost any animal can carry a zoonotic disease, but vermin and pests like raccoons, rats, and other animals which often have contact with humans pose the biggest transmission risk. In addition, zoonotic diseases can sometimes be transmitted to household pets like cats and dogs – which means a raccoon could infect you without direct contact, via your pets.

While zoonotic diseases can be transmitted through biting and scratching, they can also be transmitted when you come into contact with anything that has been contaminated by feces or urine.

What Zoonotic Diseases Are Carried By Raccoons?

 

Raccoons carry a number of different zoonotic diseases. Here are just a few of them.

  • Rabies – Raccoons are one of the animals that are most commonly infected with rabies, which is potentially life-threatening when transmitted to humans, and has a very high mortality rate. Rabid raccoons have been found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New England, and even recently in Florida.
  • Leptospirosis – Leptospirosis can cause serious symptoms in humans, such as liver and kidney problems, and muscle aching and cramping. It’s transmitted by raccoon feces and urine.
  • Giardia – Giardia infections are often caused by swimming in contaminated rivers or ponds. However, this parasitic infection can also live in the digestive tract of animals that drink from contaminated sources, such as raccoons. This can cause serious diarrhea, vomiting, and fever in affected individuals for up to 6 weeks – and be life-threatening to children, the elderly, or those with a compromised immune system.

This is just a small sampling of the diseases that can be caused by raccoons. There are hundreds of other diseases carried by raccoons, and many of them can be life-threatening. For this reason, you should never approach raccoons, or try to deal with an infestation on your own.

Got Raccoon Problems? Let Us Take Care Of It!

At Wildlife Troopers, we’re professionals when it comes to the removal of raccoons, rats, and other pests. You can trust our raccoon removal services to be comprehensive and thorough. Using the latest traps and techniques, we’ll remove raccoons from your property – and use advanced technology to keep them from coming back.

Got a raccoon problem? Contact us right away, and get the raccoon removal services you need in Palm Beach and the surrounding communities![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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