Agencies across the country and in Colorado are warning of a viral disease outbreak in raccoons. Distemper a deadly illness that can spread to pets.
Longmont Animal Control is reporting that they are experiencing a spike in number of calls about sick raccoons in the Colorado city.
Animal Control officer Ashley Walters says that that distemper won’t get humans sick, but can spread to cats, dogs and even ferrets if they’re not vaccinated. Now, Walters wants to spread awareness as officers respond to a higher number of calls than in recent years.
Some of the symptoms include raccoons being out in the daytime, acting friendly to humans, wiry fur, “boogery eyes, boogery nose, sometimes you can hear, like upper respiratory sounds like, if they’re wheezing; they kind of stumble around — so, neurological symptoms,” Walters said.
While distemper is not a new illness, Walters explained her office has seen a particularly hard fall and winter.