Raccoons can pose more of a threat than you think

November 5, 2012 Verron

Have you been upstairs in the attic or crawl spaces recently? It is possible that you have been hosting a raccoon through the winter and now that the spring has arrived she could have given birth to raccoon babies. That’s right, each spring many raccoons give birth to a litter of babies and attics happen to provide safety and comfort that they need to protect them from the elements & predators. BUT, as cute as they are, Raccoons can pose more of a threat than what you initially might think.

The first problem, the least dangerous, is the invasion of garbage cans every single day. If you do not think it poses enough of a problem to cause someone to pay to have the raccoons trapped and removed then you have not had to pick up the nasty garbage every morning while in work clothes and rushing to avoid being late.

Another reason we get called out to remove raccoons is that they have torn a huge hole through the side of their chimney, soffit or roof. The raccoon entry is discovered AFTER people get woke up in the middle of the night with what sounds like a rhinoceros running through the attic.

The issues which cause concern with Raccoons nesting in your attic, crawlspace or soffits are the diseases and parasites that are in Raccoon feces. What freaks me out and causes me to worry is the raccoon roundworm. Bleach and other household disinfectants will NOT kill roundworm eggs. Bleach only loosens the “glue” that holds the eggs in place, making it easier to wash them off a surface. Raccoon droppings are dangerous because many contain tiny roundworm eggs that can infect humans and cause serious illness if accidentally swallowed or inhaled. Although these infections are rare, they can lead to irreversible brain, heart, and sometimes eye damage and death. Most of the infections have occurred in small children between nine months to six years of age since children of this age will put almost anything they find into their mouths. Pets, livestock, and wildlife can be infected with raccoon roundworms, develop similar symptoms, and may die as a result of raccoon roundworm infection.

Another horrible disease that comes with exposure to raccoons is Leptospirosis. This is a disease caused by a bacteria that is carried in the urine of rats, raccoons, and some other animals. People and animals can get infected when water contaminated with urine of infected animals gets on their skin, or in the nose, mouth, throat, or eyes, or is swallowed. Dogs are especially at risk and may die from the disease. Leptospirosis may cause influenza-like symptoms, severe head and muscle aches, high fever, and in some cases serious liver and kidney problems.

You do not want to come in direct contact with a raccoon due to the fact that it is a vector species which means a rabies carrier. If you get a minor scratch by accident from trying to hand-feed what appears as a healthy friendly raccoon you are supposed to IMMEDIATELY seek medical care and get rabies vaccinations.

You can view a copy of this article on GoArticles at: http://goarticles.com/article/Raccoons-Pose-More-of-a-Risk-Than-You-Think/7110248/