Diseases Spread by Skunks
Skunks can contract many different types of diseases over their lifetime, and spread them to other mammmals through blood, bites, scratches, and contact with their feces. Do not get close to skunks or allow pets or small children to do so. This more frequently than not ends in an animal or child being sprayed by a skunk, which can pose health risks of their own that we dicuss in other articles.
Skunk Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic diseases are disease spread by wildlife animals to humans. Here is a list of common zoonotic diseases associated with skunk contact.
- Leptospirosis
- Rabies
In addition to zoonotic diseases, skunsk can transmit insects and other parasites to humans, including the list below.
- Roundworm
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Lice
- Mites
Treating Zoonotic Diseases from Skunks
Certain common symptoms help medical professionals identify the presence of zoonotic diseases in affected humans. All of the afflictions listed above are treatable by licensed medical care facilities in the United States. Prescription of antibiotics or other therapies and treatments will see the decrease of symptoms and infections more quickly if you seek medical attention right away.
Removing Insects and Parasites Associated With Skunks
Each type of insect will require specialized treatment to remove it from your body, home textiles, carpets, and bed linens. Often times carpet steam cleaning is required to remove nuisance inspect pests from the home, as well as the disposal of some types of fabric that will continue to carry eggs after cleaning.
Diseases Spread to Pets By Skunks
Skunks can transmit the zoonotic diseases to humans, and can infect pets with other types of diseases too. Rabies is the #1 concern for household pets being that about 20% of Skunks in the U.S. are estimated to be carrying the disease. Once a pet is infected, the disease can spread throughout the home via different methods of transmission. Treat any rabies infections with haste.