Raccoons are the one of the most charming, cute and they didn’t look harmful but are also one of the most aggressive animals that can carry different diseases to people and other animals via bites, indirect contact, scratches, and their waste. In the United States, both young and mature raccoons can carry different viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can transfer infections and disease. People should be careful when handling the materials, they contacted or left behind. It is also dangerous to handle their waste and urine without protection and proper training. Raccoons usually get their food during the night, children are usually at high risk of the diseases carried by raccoons because they usually play outside during the day.
Any person who was affected by any diseases carried by a raccoon shall be immediately attended by a doctor or physician. They need to undergo to a different test to ensure that they are safe or to know if they were affected by the disease caused by raccoons.
The following are the diseases carried by raccoons:
· Salmonella – This can be found in raccoons feces. The micro-organism can be unintentionally transferred from hands to mouth. This might result to the following health problems; High fever, Severe diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
· Rabies – Raccoons are well known to transfer rabies. It can be transferred through a rabid animal’s saliva, if you have been bitten or scratched by an animal that carrying rabies virus. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system of the humans which will lead to high fever, seizure, and hallucinations. You can identify if raccoon is carrying rabies virus if they; Stumbled, froth forming at the mouth, violent behavior, do not exhibit normal fear to humans, attacks other objects and pets.
· Baylisascaris procyonis: (Bay-lis-asc-aris) – This is a round worm is a parasite of the intestine of the raccoons that sheds in large number in its feces. The eggs are light and can be airborne, this will lead to infection resulting from inhalation. This can also lead to serious health problems like; Visceral Larval Migrans and infection of the central nervous system. It can also impair the body organs including the brain.
· Leptospirosis – This bacterial infection can spread through their urine and droppings. Exposure to this to open wounds can orally cause infection to humans and animals. The symptoms include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, Severe head and muscle pain, High fever, anemia, meningitis, kidney, and liver failure.
If your family or friend is suffering from any of this diseases transmitted by a raccoon, it is best to have the doctor or a physician check them. Usually, there are 2-4 weeks of incubation period the symptoms start to manifest.
These are just few common infectious diseases carried by a raccoon. The best way to avoid this is to be careful. Avoid touching raccoon’s urine and feces without any protection or proper training. Do not attempt to touch a raccoon. It is always best to seek help to take care of the problem caused by a raccoon contact raccoon removal Mississauga.