Raccoons, like many other wild animals, can carry and be infected with various communicable and infectious diseases.
This is why it is important to never interact or attempt to touch a wild animal, especially raccoons.
Overtime, raccoons have become more and more familiar with residential living because new developments and construction continue to take over their natural habitats.
To survive, they have learned how to use our resources and accommodations for food, shelter, and more.
When it comes to wild raccoons, it is always recommended to leave them alone and call a professional raccoon control company for safe, humane, and effective animal removal solutions.
Never attempt to domesticate baby raccoons, pet raccoons, or feed them under any circumstances.
Continue reading to learn about the dangers of interacting with wild raccoons and the potential diseases and infections they carry and can pass along to ourselves, our families, and even our pets.
Contagious Diseases in Wild Raccoons Just like animal being in nature, raccoons are vulnerable to any type of illness or disease.
This is why they can be carriers of almost anything.
Their scavenger-like diet and rummaging habits make them more susceptible to a wide range of infections.
The most common disease associated with raccoons is the rabies virus.
Rabies is caused by a virus and is almost always fatal.
Raccoons can be carriers of the virus and not show any signs for months or years.
Just because a raccoon does not appear rabid, does not mean they are not carriers of the rabies virus.
It is usually spread through bodily fluids, like saliva from a raccoon bite, scratch, or accidental contamination in an open wound or body orifice.
People and pets can be take precautions by getting rabies vaccinations to prevent fatalities and severe sickness if bitten by a rabid animal.
Another contagious infection found in raccoons is called Baylisascaris, or raccoon roundworm.
In most cases, female raccoons pass Baylisascaris eggs in their droppings.
This is where the disease can spread.
If people or animals accidentally ingest these eggs in soil, water, or by other means, they can become ill within a week.
The eggs hatch into larva and spread throughout the body, causing digestive and intestinal complications.
Common symptoms include fatigue, loss of coordination and muscle control, blindness, and even coma.
Although the disease is rare, there is a reliable treatment.
It is important to seek treatment as soon as you are aware of a problem.
Leptospirosis is another type of communicable infection that can be transferred by accidental ingestion or contamination.
Leptospirosis is an illness caused by the Leptospira bacteria.
It is found in the urine of raccoons and many other wild animals as well; such as rats, bats, and mice.
If the infected urine comes into contact with a person or animal's eyes, mouth, saliva, throat, or open wound, they are prone to infection.
It causes influenza-like symptoms; including coughing, headache, fever, muscle soreness, and in severe cases, kidney malfunctioning.
Get treatment immediately if you think you have come into contact with infected raccoon saliva or urine.