Raccoons can spread several diseases to humans.
Raccoons are adorable animals that look so friendly that children may want to touch them or even keep babies as pets, but these wild animals are not as harmless as they appear. Raccoons can be dangerous and are known to carry numerous communicable diseases that can be spread to humans.
Rabies
Raccoons are among the several species of animals that carry the potentially deadly rabies virus. Rabies is spread through contact with the saliva of infected animals and is most easily spread through bites from the animal. The disease is extremely dangerous because almost all cases with visible symptoms appearing prior to treatment result in death. For this reason, doctors give rabies vaccinations immediately to those who may have been exposed, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of rabies include high fever, headache, anxiety and agitation. Those exposed to the virus may also be confused, salivate excessively or have difficulty swallowing. Rabid people and animals have hallucinations and develop a fear of water and may have partial paralysis. Medical attention should be sought immediately following any raccoon scratch or bite.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that is often carried by raccoons. This disease may or may not cause any visible symptoms, but diarrhea, fever, chills, muscle aches, vomiting and jaundice sometimes accompany the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Many wild animals show no signs of the disease.
Humans can be exposed to the bacteria through raccoon urine in ways that do not involve direct contact with the animal. A human who drinks water from a stream where a raccoon or other infected animal has urinated, or otherwise makes contact with soil or food that has been exposed to the animal urine may get Leptospirosis.
In some severe and untreated cases Leptospirosis can cause kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure or respiratory distress. Rarely, this disease causes death.
Giardiasis
Raccoons occasionally carry the protozoal infection known as giardiasis. This is a common infection that is spread from the ingestion of feces. If a person makes contact with an infected object and then touches their mouth or nose, infection can spread to the person. Giardiasis is prevalent in hikers, campers and those swimming in public pools or streams.
Symptoms of giardiasis include 10 days or more of diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, vomiting and weight loss. A single dose of tinidazole therapy will cure 80 to 100 percent of cases.
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