Armadillos are shy animals that are slow to fight and almost never hurt anyone directly. They are also one of the very few animals known to carry the germ that causes leprosy in humans.1PubMed Central. Reservoirs and transmission routes of leprosy; A systematic review The real risk comes from close handling of the animal, not from watching one trundle across the lawn. And for most homeowners, the problem they actually face is holes in the yard, not disease.
Can You Catch Leprosy From an Armadillo
Leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, is a slow bacterial infection of the skin and nerves. It is curable with antibiotics. Checks of more than 5,000 wild armadillos over 30 years found the germ in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.2Leprosy Review. Leprosy in wild armadillos It has also turned up in a wild armadillo in Nuevo León, Mexico.3Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. Mycobacterium leprae Infection in a Wild Nine-Banded Armadillo, Nuevo León, Mexico In these areas, any armadillo you meet could be infected.
DNA ties some human cases to the animals. A strain found only in the US was found in both 28 armadillos and 25 patients.4CBS News. Are Armadillos Dangerous? The Real Risks Explained Among 52 US patients studied in the Southeast, 42% had leprosy strains also found in armadillos.5PubMed Central. Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States People who had never lived abroad were far more likely to carry an armadillo strain.6PubMed Central. Zoonotic Leprosy in the Southeastern United States So leprosy does spread from armadillos to people in the US.
Still, the overall chance stays low. The US sees only around 150 to 200 new leprosy cases a year, and roughly 95% of adults are naturally resistant. A single brief encounter is very unlikely to make you sick. The germ spreads poorly between animals and people, and the usual picture is long, repeated close contact rather than one meeting.
The small group at higher risk is people who handle armadillos often, such as hunters and skinners, since they have the most chances for the germ to reach broken skin or be swallowed. Anyone with a weakened immune system has more reason to avoid handling wild armadillos at all.
If you have had real contact, know that leprosy can take years, often 3 to 5 or longer, to show up. Look for pale or reddish skin patches that feel numb, or numbness and tingling in the hands or feet. Tell a doctor about the armadillo contact. Treatment is free in the US through the National Hansen’s Disease Program.
Which Kinds of Contact Carry Real Risk
Eating armadillo is the clearest risk. In a study in Brazil, about 59% of leprosy patients had eaten armadillo, against under 9% of healthy people.7PubMed. Armadillo meat consumption and Hansen’s disease (leprosy): a case-control study in Brazil People who eat armadillo more often also carry more leprosy antibodies in their blood.8Animals. Armadillos in the Amazon Spread Leprosy Through Food, Contact In other studies, hunting or eating armadillo roughly doubled the chance of leprosy.9PubMed Central. Armadillos and leprosy: from infection to biological model
Killing and butchering the animal can let blood or fluids enter through cuts in your skin.10PubMed Central. Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos Gloves, covered cuts, and a good soap wash afterward cut down the chance that fluids reach broken skin. Knives, tools, and surfaces need cleaning too, so the germ isn’t carried to the next job.
Cooking changes the picture. The germ lives inside the animal’s tissues, and cooking the meat thoroughly kills it, making infection from cooked meat very unlikely.11PubMed Central. Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos Thorough means heated all the way through, not just browned outside. Raw liver is a different story. A dish like armadillo liver and onion ceviche is very high risk because the germ grows most in the liver.12PubMed Central. Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos Even handling raw meat in the kitchen counts as contact, so wash cutting boards, knives, and hands after prepping it. Breathing dust from soil dug up by infected armadillos while gardening has been proposed as another route, but it is not proven.13PubMed Central. Evidence of zoonotic leprosy in Pará, Brazilian Amazon, and risks associated with human contact or consumption of armadillos
If you have to move or bury a dead armadillo, wear thick gloves and use a shovel rather than your hands. Cover any cuts, and wash your hands with soap afterward. And never keep a wild armadillo as a pet.
Rabies and Other Diseases Armadillos Carry
Armadillos can get rabies but rarely do, likely because of their low body temperature.14Missouri Poison Center. Are Armadillos Dangerous? Leprosy Risk & Safety Facts Passing rabies to people is extremely rare.15Critter Control Springfield. Armadillo Myths and Facts Even so, any wild animal bite should be shown to a doctor.
Other germs turn up mainly in South America. In Argentina, 58% of nine-banded armadillos carried the parasite that causes Chagas disease.16PubMed Central. New Sylvatic Hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi and Their Reservoir Competence in the Humid Chaco of Argentina: A Longitudinal Study A fungus that causes a serious lung infection has been grown from armadillos in Brazil and Colombia.17PubMed. Isolation of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from armadillos (Dasypus noveminctus) captured in an endemic area of paracoccidioidomycosis18Revista Iberoamericana de MicologÃa. Isolation of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus, in an endemic area for paracoccidioidomycosis in Colombia Some free-ranging armadillos in Brazil carried Toxoplasma or showed signs of Leptospira bacteria, a risk mainly for people who eat them.19PubMed. Toxoplasma gondii and Leptospira spp. infection in free-ranging armadillos And a man in Brazil developed a skin and lung fungal infection after an armadillo scratched him while hunting.20PubMed. Multifocal Sporotrichosis Associated with Armadillo Hunting in Midwest Brazil: An In-Depth Case Study and Comprehensive Literature Analysis
For a US reader, these findings describe risks in other places, not a typical American yard. Even where the germs were found, the people most exposed were those who hunted, skinned, or ate the animals, not people who simply saw one. Chagas disease, for instance, is caused by a parasite carried by blood-feeding insects often called kissing bugs, which pass it on through their droppings near a bite. An armadillo carrying the parasite doesn’t give it to you by being touched. Leptospira bacteria spread through urine-contaminated water or soil. The illness causes fever and muscle aches and is treatable.
If an armadillo does scratch or bite you, wash the wound right away with soap and running water for several minutes. Watch the spot over the following weeks, and see a doctor if it swells, drains, turns red, or fails to heal. Mention the armadillo, because it helps the doctor think of unusual causes if a slow-healing sore appears.
Do Armadillos Bite or Attack
Armadillos have tiny peg-like teeth and almost never bite people. Their shell is bony plates under tough keratin, so they rely on armor and escape rather than a fight. Their long digging claws are the exception: they can cause deep scratches if you grab one.21PubMed. Multifocal Sporotrichosis Associated with Armadillo Hunting in Midwest Brazil: An In-Depth Case Study and Comprehensive Literature Analysis
When surprised, an armadillo often springs a foot or more straight up. If you are close, step back calmly and give it room to bolt, which is nearly always what it wants. Walking up quickly or reaching for it is what turns a harmless moment into a scratch. Never pick one up by the tail.
That leap matters to drivers, because it can hit a car’s underside. Collisions on roads at night are common, and slowing down on rural roads at dusk reduces strikes.
Children are drawn to the odd shell and slow shuffle, so teach them to look but not chase, grab, or pick one up. A child who touches one should wash hands with soap, which handles most of the small risk.
Is Your Dog or Cat at Risk
No dogs are known to have caught the human form of leprosy from armadillos.22Wag!. Can Dogs Get Leprosy from Armadillos? Even if a pet bites an armadillo, the infection risk is quite low.23Armadillo Online. Frequently Asked Questions A dog that chased one needs no special treatment if it seems well.
Start by looking your dog over for scratches, especially on the nose, face, and paws, and rinse any you find with clean water. If it seems normal and has no wounds, there is generally nothing more to do. Over the next days, watch for a wound that swells, oozes, or stays open, and call your vet if so.
Keep rabies shots up to date as general protection, and stop dogs from eating dead armadillos. The holes matter too. Burrows can trip dogs and twist legs, and other wild animals may live in old armadillo burrows.
Yard and Foundation Damage
Armadillos dig shallow holes hunting grubs and insects, mostly at night. Their burrows can damage landscaping and undermine foundations, driveways, sidewalks, and pool plumbing.24Trutech Wildlife Service. How to Get Rid of Armadillos Burrowing under slabs can lead to cracks.25Pest Pointers. Why Armadillos Are In Your Yard? 7 Shocking Reasons! Their range has also spread north and east, aided by climate and land use, so more homeowners now meet them.26The Wildlife Society. Are expanding armadillos a problem?27Journal of Mammalogy. Drivers of nine-banded armadillo occupancy and expansion near the edge of their northern range
Signs point to them fairly clearly. Look for cone-shaped holes about 1 to 3 inches wide in the lawn, or burrow entrances around 7 to 8 inches wide near structures. The damage tends to appear overnight, often after rain. Many small, scattered holes where they probed for insects, rather than long raised tunnels, are one clue. It is not proof, since skunks can also dig for grubs. Seeing the animal itself at dusk, or catching it on a trail camera, is the most dependable confirmation.
Lawn holes are mostly cosmetic and can be filled and reseeded. A burrow beside a slab, walkway, or pool is more serious, because it can carry soil away from underneath and leave gaps that let concrete sag or crack. Since that happens out of sight, check the edges of foundations and patios for fresh soil mounds and open entrances.
Fill abandoned holes so pets and people don’t trip, but first make sure the animal is no longer using the burrow. Patching holes while it remains just invites new digging. If cracks appear in a foundation or slab, have a professional assess them.
How to Keep Armadillos Away Safely
Repellents and scare tactics are not effective against armadillos.28Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo. Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo Fencing works to protect small garden beds.29Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo. Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo Live trapping with a trap around 12 by 12 by 32 inches is highly effective.30Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo. Tips for Managing Nuisance Armadillo
For fencing, bury it 12 to 18 inches deep since they dig, and angle the top outward to stop climbing. Seal gaps under decks and sheds. Reducing grubs in the lawn also removes the food that draws them.
Before trapping, check state rules about relocating wildlife. Place traps along fences or near burrows to funnel animals in. For burrows under foundations, consider a licensed wildlife removal service.
Check the trap often so an animal is not left confined for long. Wear thick gloves, and move the trap with the animal inside rather than handling it directly. Wash your hands and the trap after use.