Do all raccoons have rabies?



If you live in a house that is found near the home of a raccoon, you can expect that it will come to visit at least once. When the raccoons are aware that you have food available, they will frequently pay a visit to you while searching for shelter or food.

Rabies is something that is very present in the world today. Every single day, one person may die of the viral disease which is fatal. When you pet or feed a raccoon that is already infected can put your whole family at risk. Exposure to the disease is never a good thing. You need to know that the rabies from a raccoon can very well be passed from the animal and onto humans. The disease is very deadly in its nature and this is one of the reasons as to why it is often considered to be a very serious disease. The other thing that is of great concern is the fact that rabies cannot be diagnosed in the raccoons very accurately. So as to get a diagnosis that is accurate, then the brain need to be examined.

It is however important to note here that not all raccoons have rabies. However, you can never be too safe. Always make sure that you stay away from the animals as much as you can. You may not be able to tell whether the raccoon is sick or not until the late stages of the disease.

Regardless of how amazing the raccoon looks, don’t try to handle or pet it. When a raccoon has rabies, it can get very aggressive towards the animals and people. The rabies cases are almost always fatal. Rabies is a viral disease which usually affects mammals. The virus attacks the CNS travelling all the way from the bite site and into your brain through nerves. This may take some 3-8 weeks. During such a time, the patient may not have any signs of infection. When the virus finally gets to the brain, inflammation happens and it is such a time that things like seizures, abnormal behavior, aggression and anxiety can be noted. Once the symptoms appear, the chances of survival are very slim.

So as to reduce the risk presented, raccoons need to be vaccinated even while in the wild. Killing the animals is never a solution. Even though all raccoons do not have rabies, it is always a good idea to stay away from them as much as you possibly can.

Go back to the How To Get Rid of Raccoons home page to learn more about if all raccoons have rabies.

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