Can Humans Catch Diseases from Marmots?
Marmots thrive in habitats across the country, from rocky hills to grassy valleys. Damage to lawns, gardens, and homes caused by burrows is the most common problem with these pests. While the animals avoid people, some marmot diseases can affect humans.
Marmots and Disease
Catching a marmot disease is unlikely, but there are a few illnesses the pests can carry:
- Sylvatic plague - Spread by fleas in marmot fur, this illness affects pets as well as people.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever - Marmots may carry infected ticks into yards, allowing the parasites to find new hosts.
- Cryptosporidiosis - This marmot disease transfers via body fluids and waste. It can pass to humans through water or food polluted with the pests' droppings.
Avoiding Diseases
Trapping can control marmots, but it increases the risk of contact with the pests and infection. Instead, limiting factors in the yard that attract wildlife is the safest way to avoid marmot diseases. Fencing about four feet high and a foot below the ground may keep the animals at bay.
If problems persist, the team at Critter Control can remove nuisance wildlife safely.