Fearless 'Zombie Raccoons' Can Be Fatal To Pets

CHICAGO — Officials are warning of a increase in the number of sightings of so-called "zombie raccoons," unusual-acting animals infected with the contagious distemper virus. Authorities in Ohio have fielded more than a dozen calls over the past several weeks from concerned citizens reporting strange daytime behavior from the nocturnal creatures, and Cook County public health officials report that more than one in four area raccoons are infected with canine distemper.

Infected raccoons have problems with their balance and coordination, and they may be seen standing on their hind legs or baring their teeth. Distemper also causes seizures, shaking and fearlessness. The terminally ill animals are weakened but they become more likely to approach humans and dogs, who are most at risk from the virus.

"So they can be acting like they're limping," Cook County Animal and Rabies Control Administrator Dr. Donna Alexander told WLS-TV. "They can be standing on their back legs and then falling over. Any kind of neurological equilibrium problems are signs of distemper as well."

Cook County saw a spike in raccoons with distemper a couple years ago, with an estimated 56 percent of animals infected in 2016, Alexander said. Since then, the number has declined to 43 percent.

» 'Zombie' Raccoons With Distemper on the Prowl, Animal Control Warns

But recently, county health officials have been finding a notable number of dead raccoons infected with the virus, according to WBBM – even more than a dozen years ago, the last time the area saw a canine distemper epidemic among dogs.

“Raccoons are really prone to getting diseases that – even amongst themselves – can be devastating to the population,” Geoff Westerfield, of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, told the station. If the disease stays local, it "kind of dies out for a while" until populations recover.

It is transmitted through direct contact, the area, bodily and respiratory fluids and "possibly through contaminated objects," according to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.

The disease has no cure, and while it cannot be transmitted to people, it can be deadly for dogs and sometimes cats.

Vets recommend vaccinating your pets against it, although it is not mandatory.

All 15 infected raccoons recently found in the Youngstown, Ohio area have been euthanized, according to WKBN.

Authorities asked anyone who witnesses raccoons acting unusually to contact police or animal control.

MORE: 'Zombie' Raccoons Invade Ohio Town, Terrify Residents