If you’ve ever wondered how common is rabies in rabid raccoons, you’re not alone. Rabies cases in raccoons have decreased in recent years. According to the CDC, nearly half of the states that had reported rabid raccoons reported fewer cases in 2011 than in 2010. And while raccoon rabies has decreased in recent years, a large portion of this decrease is due to a decrease in the number of rabies-infected raccoons in the United States.
A raccoon infected with rabies will exhibit several symptoms. The furious form of the disease is characterized by extreme aggression and excitement. It will also try to attack people and other animals or gnaw on its own limbs. The dumb form of rabies includes actions that mimic depression and may progress to partial paralysis. If left untreated, raccoons may become aggressive and hostile to humans.
Although rabies is a preventable disease, it is still dangerous, even for humans. Rabies is spread through contact with infected animals, so it is important to keep rabies-infected animals away from people and pets. Rabies can be passed on from one animal to another through inhalation. Rabies can be fatal in humans, but there are ways to protect yourself from exposure by ensuring you have rabies-free raccoons in your neighborhood.
Rabies can be transferred to humans and other animals, but in most cases, it is transmitted by bats or pets. Rabies in raccoons is a dangerous disease, and can be fatal. Rabies is also extremely difficult to identify. In order to make a diagnosis, a raccoon’s brain must be examined. If you suspect rabies, a raccoon is highly likely to be aggressive and dangerous to humans.
In Michigan, raccoons are the most common wildlife species to contract rabies. In fact, they account for more than 70% of all rabies cases in the state. Skunks and bats are next. However, raccoons are only associated with three human cases. This may be because bat teeth are small and cannot be detected with rabies. Thus, raccoons are the most dangerous wildlife species for humans.
Although rabies in raccoons is rare, it can cause problems in humans. Rabies is transmitted through bites, abrasions, and other types of broken skin. The disease can spread through saliva and mucous membranes. Rabies in raccoons is more common than rabies in bats, but only one human death has been linked to this disease. Nevertheless, if you do come into contact with a raccoon, be sure to stay away from them.
In the United States, rabies in raccoons has been an important problem. It’s possible that raccoons were present in the New World before European colonization. However, rabies has remained a major problem in the United States since then, despite mandatory rabies vaccinations. Rabies in these wildlife species is also closely related to a different virus than canine rabies.
