Wildlife

Anthrax is a naturally occurring disease of animals caused by bacteria found in the environment. Although it is rare in the United States, people can get sick with anthrax if they come in contact with infected animals, including wildlife. Many types of wild animals can get anthrax, including bison, deer, moose, elk, bears, and more.

How it spreads: Animals can become infected with anthrax when they ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants, or water. People get infected by having contact with sick or dead animals or eating meat contaminated with spores. People can also get anthrax through a cut or scrape in the skin. Anthrax is not contagious, which means it is not spread from person to person.

Who is at risk: Anthrax is rare in the United States, but anyone who comes in contact with anthrax spores can get sick. People at higher risk for anthrax include veterinarians, livestock producers, laboratory professionals, and people who handle animal products (for example, hides, wool, or hair).

Signs in wildlife: Animals do not always appear sick, but if they do, they can get sick suddenly and die quickly. Clinical signs vary by animal species. Typical signs include fever, staggering, difficulty breathing, or seizures. Often, infected animals do not show signs of illness and are found dead before the cause is known.

Symptoms in people: The symptoms of anthrax in people depend on the type of infection and can take anywhere from 1 day to more than 2 months to appear.

• Cutaneous (skin) anthrax: A group of small blisters or bumps, a painless skin sore (ulcer) with a black center (scar) appearing after the small blisters, and swelling.
• Inhalation anthrax (from breathing in spores): Fever and chills, shortness of breath and chest discomfort, confusion, nausea or vomiting, headache, sweats, extreme tiredness, and body aches. This type of anthrax is very rare and mostly associated with an intentional spore release (bioterrorism).
• Ingestion (stomach & intestines) anthrax: Fever and chills, swelling of neck or neck glands, sore throat, painful swallowing, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, red face and eyes, and stomach pain.

All types of anthrax have the potential, if untreated, to spread throughout the body and cause severe illness and even death.

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that attacks people’s nerves. This toxin is made most often by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which is found in soil, especially in aquatic environments. Under certain conditions spores of the bacteria can grow and make one of the most lethal toxins known. When people eat foods containing the toxin, they can become seriously sick, or even die, if they don’t get medical treatment quickly. Outbreaks of botulism have been linked to eating fish and aquatic animals (like beavers, seals, and whales) that were not properly prepared or stored properly in the refrigerator.

How it spreads: Birds and mammals can get botulism from scavenging dead fish. Some cases of foodborne botulism have happened after people ate home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods that were contaminated with toxin. The foods might have become contaminated if they were not canned (processed) correctly. In Alaska, most cases of foodborne botulism are caused by Alaskan traditional foods including fermented salmon heads (“stinkheads”), whale blubber (“muktuk”), seal blubber, and seal oil. People could also get botulism from contact with contaminated water or environments.

Who is at risk: Botulism is rare but anyone can get it. Infants and people who eat home-canned or home-fermented foods (including fermented fish and Alaska Native foods) have a greater chance of becoming seriously sick.

Signs in wildlife: Fish that carry Clostridium botulinum show few signs of illness, though some may have pale gill coloring or abdominal swelling. Infected birds may be weak, tired, or unable to walk, fly, or hold their head up.

Symptoms in people: Symptoms of botulism in people usually start with weakness of the muscles that control the eyes, face, mouth, and throat. This weakness may spread to the neck, arms, torso, and legs. Botulism can weaken the muscles involved in breathing, which can lead to difficulty breathing and even death. Botulism is an emergency. If you or someone you know has symptoms of botulism, see your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by contact with infected animals and contaminated animal products like raw milk. Brucella bacteria can infect bison, elk, caribou, cattle, dogs, goats, moose, pigs, sheep, and some marine mammals.

How it spreads: The most common way people get brucellosis is by eating or drinking unpasteurized/raw dairy products. People can also get brucellosis by coming in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal tissues or fluids (like blood) and getting the bacteria in skin wounds or mucus membranes.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get brucellosis, but people who drink raw milk or work closely with animals may be more at risk.

Signs in wildlife: Most infected animals show no signs of illness. For animals that do show signs of illness, symptoms vary by animal species and can include weight loss or change in behavior. Brucellosis also affects the reproductive organs and can cause miscarriage in animals.

Symptoms in people:  People with brucellosis usually become sick within 2–4 weeks of exposure, but symptom onset can begin anywhere between 5 days to 6 months after exposure. Sick people will have flu-like symptoms. Sometimes brucellosis can become a chronic illness that can be difficult to treat and potentially lead to more severe health consequences. Occasionally, brucellosis can affect reproductive organs and cause miscarriage.

Dermatophilosis is a skin disease caused by bacteria that can affect people and animals. Dermatophilosis mainly affects deer, but also can affect cattle, sheep, horses, and goats. This infection is more common in moist or humid environments.

How it spreads: The bacteria spread through contact with an infected animal, contact with contaminated surfaces, and bites from fleas and ticks. The bacteria can spread to people through direct contact with an infected animal.

Who is at risk: People who handle animals, especially deer, are at higher risk for getting dermatophilosis. People with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness.

Signs in wildlife: Infected animals might have matted hair, scabs, crusts, and areas of hair loss. Although some animals with severe infections may become emaciated and die, most infections are mild and will heal with time.

Symptoms in people: Infected people might have sores on the hands and arms.

Giardiasis is caused by the Giardia parasite, which is found on surfaces or in water, food, or soil that has been contaminated by poop of an infected person or animal. Wild animals that can spread Giardia include beavers, coyotes, primates, rodents, and raccoons.

How it spreads: You can get giardiasis if you swallow Giardia germs. Giardia spreads easily and can spread from person to person or through water, food, surfaces, or objects contaminated with poop from infected people or animals.

Who is at risk: The risk of getting Giardia from wildlife is low. The exact type of Giardia that makes people sick is usually not the same that infects animals. Anyone can get Giardia, but the following groups have a higher risk:

• People in childcare settings
• People who are in close contact with someone who has the disease
• Travelers within areas that have poor sanitation
• People who have contact with poop during sexual activity
• People who drink untreated water from springs, lakes, or rivers
• Swimmers who swallow water from swimming pools, hot tubs, splash pads, or untreated recreational water from springs, lakes, or rivers
• People who get their household water from a shallow well
• People with weakened immune systems
• People who have contact with infected animals or animal environments contaminated with poop

Signs in wildlife: Infected animals might have diarrhea or greasy poop, or become dehydrated. Some animals don’t show any signs of illness.

Symptoms in people: Infected people often have diarrhea, greasy poop, dehydration, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms usually begin 1 to 2 weeks after infection and last for 2 to 6 weeks, but some people develop symptoms or complications that can last much longer. Some people don’t have any symptoms.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can affect people and animals. Many kinds of animals can carry the bacteria in their urine, including raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, deer, and rodents.

How it spreads: The bacteria that cause leptospirosis spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and survive there for weeks to months. People get infected through contact with urine or other body fluids (except saliva) from infected animals, or through contact with water, soil, or other materials contaminated with urine from infected animals.

Who is at risk: Leptospirosis occurs worldwide but is most common in tropical and subtropical climates. It has been associated with contact with infected animals and activities in contaminated lakes and rivers, such as swimming, wading, kayaking, and rafting. People working directly with wild animals or cleaning up after them may be at risk for leptospirosis.

Signs in wildlife: Most infected wild animals don’t show signs of illness. For animals that do show symptoms, they can vary greatly and include fever, kidney and liver failure, and spontaneous abortions or stillbirths.

Symptoms in people: People with leptospirosis might not have any symptoms, but those who do will usually become sick within 2 days to 4 weeks of exposure and can have high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. A small number of people with leptospirosis can have more severe illness, such as liver and kidney failure, hemorrhagic pneumonia, and even death. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics is important and can reduce the duration and severity of illness.

Plague is a disease caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria that can cause illness in people and animals. In the western United States, fleas can pass the bacteria to rodents, like prairie dogs, chipmunks, wood rats, ground squirrels, deer mice, and voles, as well as other animals. Wildlife, people, and pets (dogs, cats) are at risk when they are bitten by infected fleas or exposed to the bacteria in other ways. Wildlife and pets can get sick with plague and can spread the infection to people.

How it spreads: People and animals are most commonly infected by flea bites, but touching live or dead plague-infected animals also can cause illness. People also can become infected by inhaling infectious droplets that a sick animal or person has coughed into the air.

Who is at risk: People that live in or travel to the western United States, particularly in rural areas, might be at risk. In addition, people with animal contact (for example, sleeping with infected pets in the bed) and hunters might be at risk.

Signs in wildlife: Wild rodents (like squirrels, mice, and prairie dogs) may or may not show signs of disease. Plague can cause large numbers of rodents to die off, for example, a prairie dog colony.

Symptoms in people: Bubonic plague is the most common form of the disease in people. Symptoms of bubonic plague include painful, swollen lymph nodes, high fever, chills, headache, and weakness. Other forms of plague, including septicemic plague and pneumonic plague, can cause more severe symptoms.

Rodents like rats, mice, and chipmunks can spread many diseases. Examples of rodent-borne diseases include hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. Preventing rodent infestations at home and avoiding contact with wild rodents is the best way to avoid rodent-borne disease.

How it spreads: People can get rodent-borne diseases through direct contact with infected rodents, such as touching a rodent or being bitten or scratched by a rodent. People can also get infected by breathing in contaminated air, touching items contaminated by rodents or their droppings, or eating food contaminated by a rodent. Mites, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes can spread diseases to people and other animals after feeding on an infected rodent (for example, West Nile virus, tularemia, and plague). Diseases can also spread to people from rodents through consumption of bugs like beetles or cockroaches.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get a rodent-borne disease, but people who live or work in places with rodent infestations are at higher risk. Children younger than 5 years old, pregnant people, adults over 65, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness from rodent-borne diseases.

Signs in rodents: Signs of disease in rodents can vary depending on the type of infection, ranging from mild illness to death. Some infected rodents might look healthy.

Symptoms in people: Symptoms of rodent-borne disease in people can vary depending on the type of infection. Some rodent-borne diseases can be very serious and even deadly. Some, like lymphocytic choriomeningitis, can cause birth defects if a pregnant person is infected.

People and animals are at risk for tickborne diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and others. Ticks feed on many types of wild animals, including deer, rodents, birds, and reptiles. Although tickborne diseases can’t spread from an animal to a person or another animal directly, wild animals can bring ticks into yards, near homes, and other areas, making it more likely for people and pets to get bitten by ticks.

How it spreads: Tickborne germs spread to a person through the bite of an infected tick. During the feeding process, small amounts of saliva pass from the tick into the skin of the animal or person.

Who is at risk: People who spend time in tick habitats (grassy, wooded, or brushy areas) are at risk for tick exposure. Pets can also bring ticks indoors, and wild animals can bring ticks into yards and near homes.

Signs in wildlife: Wildlife usually don’t show signs of tickborne disease.

Symptoms in people: Symptoms of tickborne diseases can vary, but usually include fever, chills, body aches, and sometimes a rash. Some tickborne diseases can be very serious and even deadly. See your healthcare provider if you have been in tick habitat or been bitten by a tick and develop any of these symptoms.

Tularemia is a disease caused by Francisella tularensis bacteria. It is mainly found in small mammals like rabbits, hares, and rodents. People and other animals can also get tularemia.

How it spreads: The bacteria can spread through tick and deer fly bites, contact with infected animals, breathing in the bacteria, and contaminated food or water. Pet cats and dogs can get infected by eating, killing, or carrying infected rodents or small mammals in their mouth, or through tick bites.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get tularemia, but people who spend a lot of time outdoors, hunt, or dress and butcher game are more likely to be exposed to F. tularensis bacteria.

Signs in wildlife: Infected animals might have sudden onset of fever, weakness, decreased appetite, and reduced mobility.

Symptoms in people: There are several forms of tularemia in people. The most common signs of infection are fever, ulcers, and lymph gland swelling. Other symptoms include chills, headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, and weakness. F. tularensis bacteria can also infect the eyes, throat, and lungs.

Vibriosis is a disease caused by Vibrio bacteria, which naturally live in some coastal waters, including saltwater and brackish water. Brackish water is a mix of fresh water and salt water and is often found where rivers meet the ocean. Vibrio bacteria cause serious disease in fish, shrimp, and shellfish but also can infect people.

How it spreads: People can get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked fish and shellfish (like oysters) or by swallowing contaminated water. Certain Vibrio species can also cause a skin infection when an open wound is exposed to saltwater or brackish water.

Who is at risk: People with weakened immune systems are more likely to get vibriosis. Eating raw seafood, particularly oysters, and exposing open wounds to salt water or brackish water can increase a person’s chance for getting vibriosis.

Signs in wildlife: Infected fish might have deep skin ulcers, skin darkening, scale loss, pale gills, a swollen stomach, or loss of appetite.

Symptoms in people: Vibriosis can cause watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, or chills. Some types of Vibrio bacteria also can cause skin infections.