Kansas police reported raccoons behaving strangely. Might not be rabies, expert says
They’re small, they wear a mask and can sometimes be found rolling around in your garbage at night.
But if you ever see a raccoon walking around in the daylight, that may be a cause for concern. It was for the Rose Hill Police Department, which posted a warning on Facebook back in August about a raccoon acting strangely.
“This animal was walking in an open area and not startled by people near it, indicating it was not in a proper state of mind,” the Facebook post reads.
It wasn’t the only raccoon the department encountered in the area exhibiting strange behaviors, some of which are commonly associated with the deadly rabies virus.
But rabies in raccoons is not very common in Kansas, according to Shane Hesting, wildlife disease program coordinator with the state Department of Wildlife and Parks.
“We have a bat strain and we have a skunk strain in Kansas,” he said. “We do not have the actual rabbit or raccoon rabies strain.”
While raccoons can get the skunk strain of rabies, it is still uncommon, Hesting said. In fact, the state doesn’t record very many cases every year, according to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s rabies surveillance dashboard.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 8, there have been 20 positive rabies cases in Kansas this year out of 822 tested cases. In Sedgwick County, three cases were confirmed, all in skunks.
There have been no raccoon cases reported in Kansas this year.
“I’ve never gotten a call [from Wichita] about rabies,” Hesting said.
While raccoons are a rabies vector species, if you see one behaving strangely it’s probably something else entirely, Hesting said — a virus called canine distemper.
“[Canine distemper virus] symptoms mimic those of rabies. They look similar,” Hesting said.
In a comment on the original Facebook post, the Rose Hill Police Department acknowledged this possibility.
“While this may very well be a canine distemper outbreak, and not rabies, many of the behaviors are indeed similar,” the comment reads.
What is canine distemper virus? What are the symptoms?
Canine distemper virus, also known as CDV, affects a wide range of mammals and attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Mammals that can get the virus include dogs, ferrets, skunks, raccoons, foxes and wolves. While cats can also get the virus, they rarely get sick from it, the AVMA says.
Some signs that an animal may experiencing CDV are:
- Weight loss
- Discharge from eyes
- Fever
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
For raccoons specifically, Hesting said neurologic behaviour is what to look out for.
“They’ll walk around in circles, or they’ll walk for a while then fall over on their back,” Hesting said.
Both dogs and cats can be vaccinated against CDV.
“Pet owners need to make sure their dogs [and cats] are vaccinated,” Hesting said.
CDV is not one of the state’s reportable animal diseases, so it is unclear how many cases Kansas has seen recently.
What are the symptoms of rabies?
Rabies is a deadly virus spread through the saliva of an infected animal — most commonly transmitted by bats, coyotes, foxes and skunks, according to Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms include a fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, and the later, more serious symptoms include difficulty swallowing, excess salvation, fear, hallucinations and partial paralysis.
If you were bitten by an animal, even if you don’t suspect it was rabid, it’s important to go to the doctor and get tested.
Signs an animal may have rabies include, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association:
- Fearfulness
- Aggression
- Excessive drooling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Staggering
You should not approach an animal showing signs of rabies.
If a pet is experiencing symptoms, you should report it to your local animal control or the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. If you see symptoms in a wild animal, you should call the Great Plains Nature Center and ask for a biologist, Hesting said.
Dogs, cats and ferrets can all be vaccinated against the rabies virus.
Here’s a quick overview of rabies cases in Kansas this year, from the KDHE:
- Cat: Four cases
- Cow: Two cases
- Horse: One case
- Bat: Seven cases
- Skunk: Six cases
