If you live in Northern Alberta, Ontario or central Saskatchewan, you are likely to run into raccoons more often than you like. From infiltrating the local bus station to entering your attic, these raccoons are now everywhere thereby making them a nuisance. Owing to their outstanding numbers, you are likely to run into one problem or the other with them in your residence.
One of such problem happens to be the danger of disease which raccoons carry around. An example of such a disease happens to be rabies, and this is explained further below:
Raccoons and Rabies
Raccoons alongside other pests such as bats and skunks are primary carriers of the rabies virus in Canada. Although any warm-blooded animal can carry the rabies disease, raccoons belong to a set called “rabies vector species”. Now, this brings about the question of what is “rabies”?
Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system of its carrier. The attack on the central nervous system leads to a change in the animal’s behaviour thereby leading to increased aggression and fearlessness.
How to Spot a Rabid Raccoon
Before you take any steps to get rid of any raccoon on your property, you should first ascertain if it has been infected with rabies. To establish the state of the raccoon, you need to examine the behavior first. You can lookout for the following signs:
- Discharge from mouth and/or eyes
- Wet fur or matted hair on the face
- Staggered movement
- Oblivious to sound or movement
- Self-harming
- Repeated high-pitch whining or mewing
If you see a raccoon with any of the above signs, approaching it is not a wise option as it may attack you. An attack from a rabid raccoon can be quite dangerous. Normally, rabid raccoons die within 3 days of being infected.
How Can Humans Get Infected with Rabies from Raccoons?
For humans, acquiring the rabies virus can occur if:
- You have been bitten by a raccoon
- Your injured or cracked skin gets licked by a rabid raccoon.
- You get scratched with a saliva covered claw belonging to a rabid raccoon
Get Professional Pest Control to Remove Rabid Raccoons.
Trying to deal with a rabies-infected raccoon by yourself puts you at risk of being attacked and getting infected. The best thing to do when faced with such a situation is to get professional raccoon extermination services.
Apart from the fact that the exterminators are professionally equipped to deal with rabid raccoons, their waste and droppings can also have a virus and other parasites. This needs to be removed from your property and your property also needs disinfectants to eliminate the chance of diseases spreading.
Only a professional pest control Kitchener service can guarantee that during the process of removal, cleaning and disinfestation, your safety remains at the forefront.