Raccoons that live near people carry a long list of germs, but only a few pose a real danger to human health. In North America the two that matter most are rabies, which spreads through bites, and a roundworm whose eggs spread through raccoon droppings. They work very differently: rabies is a medical emergency you can fully prevent with timely shots, while the roundworm is rare yet can’t be reliably undone once symptoms start, so prevention happens at home. City living packs raccoons together around trash and food, which helps their germs move between animals and toward people and pets.1PubMed Central. Trash Talking: Anthropogenic Resources Facilitate Raccoon Interactions in Urban Environments
Rabies From Raccoons and What To Do After a Bite
A rabies strain adapted to raccoons once existed only in the southeastern US.2MMWR. Notes from the Field: Enhanced Surveillance for Raccoon Rabies Virus Variant and Vaccination of Wildlife for Management — Omaha, Nebraska, October 2023–July 2024 In 1977, raccoons that had been moved from Florida to the mid-Atlantic for hunting brought it north, starting one of North America’s biggest wildlife outbreaks.3MMWR. Notes from the Field: Enhanced Surveillance for Raccoon Rabies Virus Variant and Vaccination of Wildlife for Management — Omaha, Nebraska, October 2023–July 2024 It now runs through much of the eastern US and has crossed into parts of eastern Canada.4PubMed. Genetic tracking of the raccoon variant of rabies virus in eastern North America Skunks catch the raccoon strain too, though it does not appear to keep circulating in skunks on its own.5PubMed Central. Skunk and Raccoon Rabies in the Eastern United States: Temporal and Spatial Analysis
An exposure means a bite or scratch that breaks the skin, even a small one. Saliva getting into an open cut, your eyes or your mouth also counts. Touching fur or seeing a raccoon nearby does not. If a child or a sleeping person was alone in a room with a raccoon, call a doctor anyway, since a bite can go unnoticed.
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but treatment before then works. So the first step is to wash the wound well with soap and water for about 15 minutes, then call a doctor the same day. Treatment after exposure, which your doctor may call PEP, starts with one dose of rabies immune globulin plus a vaccine on the first visit.6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Guidance Further vaccine doses follow on days 3, 7 and 14.7Minnesota Department of Health. Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Regimen and Wound Care People with weakened immune systems get a fifth dose on day 28 and a blood check afterward, while pregnancy doesn’t change the schedule.8Minnesota Department of Health. Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Regimen and Wound Care Anyone vaccinated against rabies before needs only two booster doses, on days 0 and 3.9Minnesota Department of Health. Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Regimen and Wound Care Outside the US, the WHO schedule may be shorter, three visits over one week.10PubMed Central. Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis delivery to ensure treatment efficacy and increase compliance
Daytime activity alone isn’t proof of rabies, because healthy raccoons sometimes forage by day. Stumbling, circling, unusual tameness or aggression are the warning signs. Never approach or try to help such an animal; call animal control. If the animal can be tested safely, the result can sometimes spare you the shots.
A dog or cat that fought a raccoon needs a vet call the same day. If its rabies vaccination is current, that usually means a booster and a period of observation. Wear gloves before handling a pet that may have saliva from the fight on its coat.
Raccoon Roundworm and the Danger in Droppings
The raccoon roundworm is common in North American raccoons, and infection is possible wherever raccoons live.11PubMed Central. Viability of Baylisascaris procyonis Eggs In one Ohio city, 7 of 28 raccoons carried it.12Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Baylisascaris procyonis and eimerian infections in raccoons Raccoons use shared toilet spots called latrines, often on decks, woodpiles, roofs and attics, so eggs build up there in large numbers.13Clinical Infectious Diseases. Raccoon Roundworm Encephalitis The droppings are usually dark, tubular and a few inches long, often with seeds, berry skins or bits of insect shell in them. Dogs leave droppings too, so the repeated return to the same spot and the raised, flat location are the stronger clues. Finding one is a reason to plan a careful cleanup, not to touch it bare-handed or sweep it up quickly.
Eggs need a few weeks in warm soil to become infectious, developing normally at 10 to 30 °C.14PubMed Central. Environmental modulators on the development of the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis): Effects of temperature on the embryogenesis But once laid, they survive freezing for at least 6 months and fully dry conditions for about 6 months.15PubMed Central. Viability of Baylisascaris procyonis Eggs An old latrine can therefore still be infectious after a winter.
People catch the infection by swallowing eggs, mainly from latrines or contaminated soil.16Clinical Infectious Diseases. Raccoon Roundworm Encephalitis The main risk is in children under 4, children who put dirt in their mouths, and boys.17Clinical Infectious Diseases. Raccoon Roundworm Encephalitis The eggs are microscopic and stick to hands and toys, and toddlers playing in sandboxes, mulch and near decks carry them from soil to the mouth.
Once swallowed, the hatched larvae wander through the body and can invade the brain, where both the worm and the body’s inflammation cause damage.18PubMed Central. Baylisascaris Procyonis Neural Larva Migrans in an Infant in New York City Animals react differently: tiny numbers of eggs kill mice, while dogs, cats and farm animals fed thousands showed no damage in one experiment.19Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Baylisascaris procyonis and eimerian infections in raccoons In people, symptoms usually appear 2 to 4 weeks after swallowing many eggs, and by then serious damage is often already done.20CDC. Raccoon Roundworm Clinical Overview Larvae can also reach the eye and cause inflammation, damage to the retina and lasting vision loss.21PubMed Central. Baylisascaris Procyonis Induced Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis in New York City Eye cases occur in city children too, such as a 12-year-old in the Bronx whose vision improved only slightly with treatment.22PubMed Central. Baylisascaris procyonis and Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Coinfection Presenting as Ocular Larva Migrans with Granuloma Formation in a Child Reported human cases are few compared with how common the worm is, but when illness occurs it can mean lifelong disability.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Raccoon Roundworm
Brain infection can cause weakness, poor coordination, irritability, seizures, confusion and drowsiness, sometimes coma.23CDC. Raccoon Roundworm Clinical Overview One infant had fever, stiff neck, lethargy and weakness on one side.24PubMed. Good outcome with early empiric treatment of neural larva migrans due to Baylisascaris procyonis Eye infection may show up as blurred vision or vision loss in one eye.25PubMed Central. Baylisascaris procyonis and Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Coinfection Presenting as Ocular Larva Migrans with Granuloma Formation in a Child
These signs are easy to miss, since irritability, tiredness or clumsiness in a toddler resemble ordinary illnesses. The signs that should raise concern are new, get worse, or come together: a seizure, loss of skills the child had, or one-sided weakness. Eye symptoms are hard to spot in a young child who may not complain; you might see a child bumping into things or squinting with one eye. Because all of these have many other causes, the link to raccoon exposure is what helps a doctor think of roundworm.
There’s no commercially available test, so doctors rely on your report of raccoon exposure.26Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Raccoon Roundworm Infection Associated with Central Nervous System Disease and Ocular Disease — Six States, 2013–2015 Blood and spinal fluid can be sent to the CDC for an antibody test.27Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Raccoon Roundworm Infection Associated with Central Nervous System Disease and Ocular Disease — Six States, 2013–2015 A positive result can reflect a past exposure, not only a current one.28Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Raccoon Roundworm Infection Associated with Central Nervous System Disease and Ocular Disease — Six States, 2013–2015 Stool tests don’t help, because the worm doesn’t lay eggs inside humans.29PubMed Central. Baylisascaris Procyonis Neural Larva Migrans in an Infant in New York City MRI brain scans and eye exams are often important clues.30Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosis for Raccoon Roundworm One boy treated early, before tests came back, had a good recovery.31PubMed. Good outcome with early empiric treatment of neural larva migrans due to Baylisascaris procyonis
Tell the doctor where the child played and whether raccoon droppings were nearby, and whether the child eats dirt or mouths objects. Say when symptoms began relative to the exposure. Ask whether starting worm medicine early is appropriate.
Leptospirosis, Salmonella and Other Raccoon Germs
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread through urine, often via water or wet soil. In California about 1 in 4 raccoons tested carried it in kidneys or urine.32PubMed. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) as Potential Reservoirs of Leptospira spp. in California In Illinois more than half of raccoons had been exposed, and most local water sources tested positive.33PubMed. EVIDENCE OF LEPTOSPIRA SEROVARS IN WILDLIFE AND LEPTOSPIRAL DNA IN WATER SOURCES IN A NATURAL AREA IN EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS, USA Dogs that drink from puddles and people handling wet soil near raccoons face some risk.34PubMed. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) as Potential Reservoirs of Leptospira spp. in California
Leptospirosis often starts like the flu, with fever, chills, headache and muscle aches, which is why it can go unrecognized without a history of exposure. Rarely it damages the kidneys or liver. Most cases are mild or moderate, and antibiotics are available, so unlike rabies and roundworm it is treatable once diagnosed. Bacteria enter through cuts in the skin or through the eyes, nose or mouth, so wading through wet ground or handling soil with a scrape on your hand is the risky situation. If you develop a fever after contact with wet soil or water that raccoons used, tell your doctor.
In one city population, nearly half of raccoons shed Salmonella in their droppings.35PubMed Central. Salmonellosis detection and evidence of antibiotic resistance in an urban raccoon population in a highly populated area, Costa Rica On farms, raccoons shared the same Salmonella strains and drug-resistance genes as soil and pig manure.36PubMed Central. Using whole-genome sequence data to examine the epidemiology of Salmonella, Escherichia coli and associated antimicrobial resistance in raccoons (Procyon lotor), swine manure pits, and soil samples on swine farms in southern Ontario, Canada In Louisiana about a third carried the parasite that causes Chagas disease.37PubMed. Raccoons As an Important Reservoir for Trypanosoma cruzi: A Prevalence Study from Two Metropolitan Areas in Louisiana On raccoons in North Carolina, about 3 in 4 had ticks, including the type that spreads Lyme disease.38PubMed. Tick-raccoon associations and the potential for Lyme disease spirochete transmission in the coastal plain of North Carolina Raccoons themselves don’t infect people with tick diseases; ticks that fed on them can.39PubMed. Experimental and field studies on the suitability of raccoons (Procyon lotor) as hosts for tick-borne pathogens. Germs like Salmonella and roundworm eggs reach people mostly through hands contaminated by droppings, urine or soil, so washing your hands after yard work helps block them, though it won’t stop tick bites. Raccoons introduced to Europe carry fewer germs than North American ones, and the infection risk from them there appears fairly low.40PubMed Central. The Raccoon (Procyon lotor) as a Neozoon in Europe
How To Clean a Raccoon Latrine Safely
Roundworm eggs resist most disinfectants, including bleach. Heat does kill them: water at about 62 °C (144 °F) or hotter destroyed all eggs.41Emerging Infectious Diseases. Thermal Death Point of Baylisascaris procyonis Eggs Boiling water poured on decks or patios works on heat-safe surfaces. On concrete and soil, professionals use a propane torch, with fire precautions.
Start with protection. Wear disposable gloves, rubber boots and an N95 mask in enclosed spaces. Dried droppings can release microscopic eggs that you might breathe in or carry to your mouth. The mask matters most in attics, garages and crawl spaces, where dust has nowhere to go.
Then lightly wet the droppings to keep dust down and shovel them into double bags. Bag them for the trash, or burn them where that’s allowed. Treat the surface with boiling water. Throw away the gloves and any disposable gear with the waste, wash your clothes in hot water, and shower afterward.
Consider hiring professionals for a large attic latrine or soaked insulation, which they can remove. They’re also the better choice if toddlers are in the home or a pregnant person would be doing the work.
Keeping Raccoons and Their Diseases Away From Your Home
Trash and other human food bring raccoons together and make them more tolerant of each other.42PubMed Central. Trash Talking: Anthropogenic Resources Facilitate Raccoon Interactions in Urban Environments Removing food cuts raccoon visits and the germs that come with them. Use locking trash lids and put cans out only on collection morning. Feed pets indoors, and clean up fallen fruit and birdseed spills. Cover sandboxes.
Wildlife agencies drop rabies vaccine baits, which protected most raccoons in testing.43PubMed. Efficacy of Ontario Rabies Vaccine Baits (ONRAB) against rabies infection in raccoons Baits only work when spread densely over many seasons.44PubMed. Influence of oral rabies vaccine bait density on rabies seroprevalence in wild raccoons If you find one, leave it and keep pets away from it.
Keep dogs and cats up to date on rabies shots. Ask your vet about the leptospirosis vaccine for dogs. Keep pets from drinking puddles or eating raccoon droppings, and check them regularly for ticks.
Don’t feed or pet a tame-seeming raccoon. Leave orphaned babies to licensed rehabilitators, who use protective gear because of roundworm risk. Call animal control for sick or trapped animals.
Seal chimneys, vents and attic gaps only after making sure no young are inside. Chirping or squeaking, especially during the day, and a female coming and going suggest a family. A one-way door lets the animals leave but not return, and it’s best used once you’ve confirmed everyone has left. If young are inside, wait until they can travel with their mother, or call a wildlife professional.