hoodat
Garden Addicted
Good point. They are the only species other than humans that can catch leprosy. Fortunately for us leprosy id not easily transmitted.
Armadillo's .... How do I keep them out of my yard?
- Thread starter HunkieDorie23
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Ridgerunner
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But the den is not on my property. I don't even know where it is. Or rather, where the different dens are.
Ridgerunner
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Here is something I got from the Smithsonian to maybe put the Leprosy risk from armadillos in perspective.
Tick bites can cause diseases. But not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Fever. Most bites don't but ticks are the ones that worry me the most. I do try to be careful with them. I was probably infected once but the nurse practisioner asked if I wanted to be tested and later treated or just treated. I elected treat it and quickly got over whatever it was. I've known some people get pretty sick with Lyme's disease.
Not every mosquito bite gives you malaria, yellow fever, or Encephalitis, but they can. It's still best to avoid them.
Not every skunk you see out during daylight is carrying rabies. In 2014 there were 151 confirmed animals with rabies in Arkansas, skunks accounted for 109 of those, so it is something to be aware of. Fox = 1, cattle =3, bats = 34, cats = 3, dog = 1 to put that into perspective. Treat any wild animal as if it might be carrying something but don't freak out about it.
A lot of things can happen, some are worth a lot more worry than others. Just take reasonable precautions and you will probably do OK.
So, what’s unique about armadillos that make them good carriers? Likely a combination of body temperature and the fragile nature of the disease. As the New York Times reports, leprosy is a “wimp of a pathogen." It’s so fragile that it dies quickly outside of the body and is notoriously difficult to grow in lab conditions. But with a body temperature of just 90 degrees, one hypothesis suggests, the armadillo presents a kind of Goldilocks condition for the disease—not too hot, not too cold. Bacterial transmission to people can occur when we handle or eat the animal.
But before you start to worry about epidemics or making armadillo eradication plans, find comfort in this: Though Hansen’s disease, as it is clinically known, annually effects 250,000 people worldwide, it only infects about 150 to 250 Americans. Even more reassuring: up to 95 percent of the population is genetically unsusceptible to contracting it. And these days, it is highly treatable and not nearly as contagious as once believed.
And as for armadillos—the risk of transmission to humans is low. Only the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. And, most people in the U.S. who come down with the chronic bacterial disease get it from other people while traveling outside the country.
Tick bites can cause diseases. But not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Fever. Most bites don't but ticks are the ones that worry me the most. I do try to be careful with them. I was probably infected once but the nurse practisioner asked if I wanted to be tested and later treated or just treated. I elected treat it and quickly got over whatever it was. I've known some people get pretty sick with Lyme's disease.
Not every mosquito bite gives you malaria, yellow fever, or Encephalitis, but they can. It's still best to avoid them.
Not every skunk you see out during daylight is carrying rabies. In 2014 there were 151 confirmed animals with rabies in Arkansas, skunks accounted for 109 of those, so it is something to be aware of. Fox = 1, cattle =3, bats = 34, cats = 3, dog = 1 to put that into perspective. Treat any wild animal as if it might be carrying something but don't freak out about it.
A lot of things can happen, some are worth a lot more worry than others. Just take reasonable precautions and you will probably do OK.
So, what’s unique about armadillos that make them good carriers? Likely a combination of body temperature and the fragile nature of the disease. As the New York Times reports, leprosy is a “wimp of a pathogen." It’s so fragile that it dies quickly outside of the body and is notoriously difficult to grow in lab conditions. But with a body temperature of just 90 degrees, one hypothesis suggests, the armadillo presents a kind of Goldilocks condition for the disease—not too hot, not too cold. Bacterial transmission to people can occur when we handle or eat the animal.
But before you start to worry about epidemics or making armadillo eradication plans, find comfort in this: Though Hansen’s disease, as it is clinically known, annually effects 250,000 people worldwide, it only infects about 150 to 250 Americans. Even more reassuring: up to 95 percent of the population is genetically unsusceptible to contracting it. And these days, it is highly treatable and not nearly as contagious as once believed.
And as for armadillos—the risk of transmission to humans is low. Only the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. And, most people in the U.S. who come down with the chronic bacterial disease get it from other people while traveling outside the country.
hoodat
Garden Addicted
The media mocked President Carter for his so called "Killer rabbit" episode but he was an outdoorsman and knew enough to shy away from any wild animal that isn't acting normally and a swimming rabbit is not normal.
