What Transmittable Diseases Do Raccoons Carry?
Raccoons can carry several diseases detrimental to the health of both humans and pets. Transmission is usually the result of incorrect handling of the pests, which leads to bites, scratches, or direct contact with raccoon feces. Here are a few of the most common diseases carried by raccoons:
- Rabies: Spread via saliva and causes muscle pain, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, delirium, and irritability.
- Raccoon Roundworm: Also known as baylisascaris, this parasite is found in the pest's feces and induces unpleasant symptoms like liver enlargement, loss of muscle control, blindness, and disorientation.
- Leptospirosis: Bacteria spread via excrement which causes fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, jaundice, and potentially kidney or liver failure.
- Giardiasis: Gastrointestinal ailment that induces bloating, vomiting, indigestion, and loss of appetite in those afflicted.
- Salmonellosis: When ingested, the Salmonella bacteria brings about abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Raccoon populations often harbor a number of dangerous diseases and parasites that can easily be transmitted to humans who do not take proper precautions. Contact the wildlife experts at Critter Control to prevent the spread of disease and safely remove raccoons from your property.
Raccoons and Roundworm
The primary parasite carried by raccoons is the roundworm. Transmitted by eggs in the animal's feces, roundworms are inadvertently ingested when humans touch the feces, contaminated food, or polluted water sources and then touch their mouths. Young children are especially vulnerable to roundworms, which cause nausea, loss of muscle control, blindness, coma, and sometimes death.
Disease Prevention
Individuals should take precautions when they come in close contact with raccoons. To prevent the spread of disease:
- Parents should supervise outdoor play to reduce the chance of children contracting diseases.
- Always wash garden vegetables thoroughly to reduce the risk of consuming contaminated food.
- Never approach wild raccoons, especially if they are acting strangely, staggering about, or showing signs of aggression.
Contact a Professional Wildlife Expert
The safest course of action is to contact the wildlife experts at Critter Control, who are trained to handle problematic raccoons and protect residents from the dangerous diseases they spread.
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Customer Reviews
It has been very effective at reducing the number of mice, lizard, and snake sightings. During one visit Edgar removed a rattlesnake he came across. We may see a snake maybe two to three times during the spring and summer months, but it has been far less than before.
Serivces:
Wildlife & Rodent Control in San Diego
Full service. Excellent job of extracting raccoon, cleaning all animal waste, sanitizing, and spraying anti-parasitic substance. They closed all potential ports of entry, though the work did not match the vinyl, and it looks kind of tacky. They added blown insulation, which added a lot to the cost. They provide a one year warranty against animal intrusion, with an option to extend the warranty at the end of each one- year period. They were willing to work with me one the price. I will probably extend my warranty, and will definitely use them it the future.
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Chattanooga
I was really impressed by these guys. Got a call within a few hours of making an inquiry. Had a rep out to inspect the situation by the end of the week, and when they laid out the timeline they kept if not exceeded listed times.
Rob, Travis, and Jim were all professional, polite, and courteous and after months of hearing squirrels in my ceiling they are gone and the repair to my flashing looks excellent. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Jeff was incredibly professional and helpful. I'll use them again and would recommend them to anyone.
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Detroit, MI
Critter Control did a great job of evaluating our house for sites of entry after we found bats and a squirrel in our attic. They completed their work promptly and professionally.
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Seattle, WA
We heard some noise from the corner of our house. Concerned that it could be inside we called for an inspection. Jessy arrived as scheduled and conducted a complete inspection of our home. Based on a recording we made he determined we had a tree frog on our roof. I was pleased that we didn’t have any rodent in our house. And his inspection could a few spots I can tighten up around my house. I am very happy with the outcome.
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New Hampshire
We have a vacation home in
Western Mass and haven’t been there much during the pandemic as we live and work in Atlanta, GA. On our most recent visit we noticed that we had some rodent intrusion as well as some un-welcomed wildlife who decided to make our vacation home their home.
We contacted Critter Control and Mr. Cahoon was quick to set up an appointment as we wouldn’t be in town very long. He came out and assessed our issues. He informed us of our options to both eradicate and control future intrusions. Keeping in mind that wildlife is wildlife! He quickly got to work eradicating the rodents and wildlife from our home and addressing the intrusion issues. We feel much better leaving our vacation home for periods at a time knowing that Mr. Cahoon and Critter Control did their job and did it right! Thanks again!
We bought an old cabin last spring , it was used for years as a summer vacation cabin, therefore maintenance wasn’t a priority. After our project to remodel started, we found evidence of
mice droppings.
We immediately called Critter Control and they came and gave us a reasonable estimate to remove all remnants and insulation. They sanitized and replaced with new insulation and sealing up points of entry .
Seeing their professional work made us feel confident and secure that the problem was solved ! Everyone we worked with continued to show professional and respectful work. Highly recommend this company! We continue to use critter control monthly to be sure we are mice and bug free!
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