Possums carry various pathogens and germs that can cause diseases in humans and pets. Then there is also the possibility of meningitis and death. Possums lack sweat glands, and this behavior is believed to help them cool down. The Predator Free 2050 project aimed to rid New Zealand of possums, rats and stoats by 2050 when it was set up in 2016. One explanation they came up with was that male opossums impregnated females through the nose. Do opossums carry diseases? In healthy people, toxoplasmosis may show no symptoms, or the symptoms may be mild. This, perhaps, is the most dangerous thing about them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Home. It is better to place it in some remote place with the open exit. ), https://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/opossums-unsung-heroes-in-the-fight-against-ticks-and-lyme-disease, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/benefits-of-opossums.htm, https://crittercontroloftampa.com/blog/how-can-i-tell-if-an-opossum-is-sick, http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74123.html, https://www.terminix.com/blog/home-garden/opossums-facts-rabies/, https://urbanjunglewildliferemoval.com/blog/are-opossums-dangerous/#diseases, https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/index.html, https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/symptoms/index.html, https://news.okstate.edu/articles/veterinary-medicine/2018/leptospirosis-in-cats.html, https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_multi_leptospirosis, https://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/transmission/index.html, https://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/signssymptoms/index.html, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/tularemia-in-cats, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/tularemia-in-dogs, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chagas-disease-(american-trypanosomiasis), https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/chagas-disease-in-dogs, https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/blog/posts/chagas-disease-in-pets.html, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351256, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351250, https://www.cdc.gov/otherspottedfever/index.html, https://adobevets.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Newsletter-Tick-Borne-Diseases-and-Your-Pet.pdf, https://www.cdc.gov/relapsing-fever/index.html, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6236141, https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/disease.html, https://www.msdvetmanual.com/dog-owners/disorders-affecting-multiple-body-systems-of-dogs/toxoplasmosis-in-dogs, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rabies/symptoms-causes/syc-20351821, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies. Thanks & Welcome to the Forbes Home Improvement Community! We will talk more on this but currently, let us help you get a better idea about possums and their existence. Like other marsupials (e.g. {{ tocState.toggleTocShowMore ? ", Your resident opossum might be just a bump in the night, but it could also be a carrier of leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, salmonella and tuberculosis. If you are pregnant, you should do all you can to avoid getting toxoplasmosis. When not on the female's back, or holding her tail, they keep in touch by communication through bird-like sounds, clicks, and lip-smacking sound. Many people fear opossums due to their rat like appearance. It also has the added effect of rendering them odorless (when theyre not secreting stinky predator-repellant, that is). Possums may snack on pet food, especially cat food. That is the very type of defensive mechanism that gave the Opossums their bad reputation. Despite being incredibly useful as natural sources of pest control, and having a somewhat cute reputation amongst animal lovers online, opossums do in fact contract and carry various diseases that can prove harmful to both petsand humans. A viral meme claimed opossums are immune to rabies and ate up to 5,000 ticks annually, thus stopping the spread of Lyme disease. First, let us answer a misconception that possums and opossums are the same. Possums are reasonably smaller than opossums, which may grow up to 2.5 feet in length, from nose to tail. But cats are highly likely to be asymptomatic. If they are left alone for several minutes, they will wake up and high tail it out of there.
As we already mentioned, opossums play host to several ectoparasites, including fleas, ticks and lice. Symptoms of this disease include fever, headache, joint aches, and muscle aches. While they would prefer a dead or weak one, they would also take down a live one. You can get it just by handling an infected possum. They have impressive memories when it comes to food: better than rats or dogs. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Once the possums are captured, carry them to a remote place and release them. Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease. If not, a booster shot is advisable to keep the dog safe, fit, and fine. Some of the diseases that possums can carry include: Rabies: Rabies is a severe and potentially fatal disease affecting mammals' nervous systems. For many homeowners in these areas, it shouldnt be a surprise to catch a glimpse of one every now and then. But its a myth that possums sleep this way: Their tails are only strong enough to hold them for a short amount of time. At this point, symptoms like confusion, partial paralysis, and excess salivation may appear. Possums are considered pests in New Zealand, killing millions of native birds every year. The ones you can meet in North America - and memes - are Opossums. Heres why. The aerosol or dust raised in such a situation may contain the bacteria. Possums carry various diseases that can affect humans and pets. Then, secure the lid so it cant happen again. When pets come into contact with infected feces or ingest contaminated tissue, they are at risk of contracting coccidiosis. Opossums as a species are not particularly prone Knowing the difference between possum and opossum helps kids and their parents to know these species better. Feeding by humans causes wildlife to congregate, potentially increasing the chance[s] of disease transmission among [humans and animals], says White. Lets learn more about possums and the risks they can pose to humans. Of the three types of relapsing fever, tick-borne relapsing fever is the only one common in the United States. Are Opossums Disease Carriers? Pets like cats and dogs can get Chagas disease. Opossums have many adaptations that made them successful survivors in diverse environments and conditions: they even have opposable digits that act like thumbs. Therefore, there are scarce chances of you or . Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments. Baby possums can even use their tails to hang from branches upside down as theyre often depicted doing in cartoons. Both are marsupials, ancient group of animals that have a pouch they use to nurture and carry their young from a very early development stage. If you check out the rest of this article, you will learn about various diseases possums carry. If you find an opossum on your property, there are a few ways to get rid of them. These remarkable critters are immune to a lot of things! You may contract it by touching the wound of an infected possum or by inhaling droplets expelled from the lungs of an infected possum. To learn more about our products and how to keep opossums away from your environment, contact us today! It is because they often mistake the defensive behavior of opossums for a sign of rabies: the critter would hiss, drool, foam from the open mouth. This is why people living with HIV have a higher susceptibility to tuberculosis. (What Diseases Do They Get? . They also consume rodents like rattlesnakes. The signs are similar to other creatures. Possums carry various pathogens and germs that can cause diseases in humans and pets. Yes, they can carry and spread many diseases, including leptospirosis, tuberculosis, tularemia, relapsing fever, spotted fever, Chagas diseases, etc. Either way, youll never need to worry about opossums attacking your pets, digging in your garden or threatening your childrenthese small, nomadic marsupials are perfectly innocuous. Its better to keep your family safe by driving these marsupials out in a manner that will sure to keep them from coming back. The most vulnerable group include pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. The first thing you should know is that this is a defense mechanism they use to protect themselves from potential predators. When looking for food, possums will wander into your garbage area or your garden if you have fruit-bearing plants. This critter is unpleasant enough as it is, so when they glare at you, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth, its even worse. It is not uncommon for animals like possums to carry rabies. Are Opossums Dangerous To Humans, Pets And Property? Humans also hunt and trap them for food or to get rid of it. Infections in Pets. They tend to have lower incidents of rabies than wild dogs and other pests, but they might carry: Leptospinosis Tuberculosis Relapsing fever Tularemia Spotted fever Toxoplasmosis Lexie came from HomeAdvisor and Angi (formerly Angies list) and is responsible for writing and editing articles over a wide variety of home-related topics. Their whole body has any of these colors. The opossums, the misunderstood North American marsupials, are the heroes of this article. Opossums are hosts for cat and dog fleas, especially in urban environments. They are an integral part of wildlife and are occasionally found near our homes. While possums are primarily found in Australia, New Guinea, China, New Zealand, and Sulawesi, the opossums are native species to North America and Southern Canada. Very young, old, malnourished, pregnant, or debilitated people are at high risk of contracting the disease and if left untreated, relapsing fever may be fatal. The symptoms are sometimes non-specific as they resemble the symptoms of other diseases. These are not pets even if they are used to the presence of humans, and any wild animal can become highly aggressive whenever they feel threatened. Diarrhea is the primary symptom. Opossums actually very rarely get rabies, White says, explaining that this is probably because of their low body temperature (their temp can go as low as 94, which is too low for the rabies virus to survive and make the animals sick). Do opossums carry diseases? Keep reading to discover three diseases spread by opossums and how Critter Guard can help you keep these marsupials at bay. includes a body temperature that is significantly However, because a possum's body . Unlike other mammals that carry ticks, and therefore spread Lyme Disease, possums gobble up 90 percent of the ticks that attach to them. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease in other words, it is a disease that can affect both animals and humans. Despite the urban legend, there have been very few cases when they would try and steal a chicken. The scientists suspect that male and female possums living in the wild may even build nests together as a way to trigger the females reproductive hormones. So the real question is, has your uninvited guest been bitten by more than just the ugly bug? Keep reading to discover three diseases spread by opossums and how Critter Guard can help you keep these marsupials at bay. This does not influence our choices. It is pretty hard to tell without a very close examination (which we suggest you do not attempt to do). Because a possum & # x27 ; s body the open exit reading discover... There have been very few cases when they would also take down live... 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