Diseases Of Wildlife

Diseases Spread by Wildlife

Wildlife diseases in urban areas can become quite prolific due to the close contact with other animals which may be used as vectors and interaction with humans.  Many of these diseases have become epidemics and spread not only to humans but our beloved pets (primarily cats and dogs).  While most of these can be prevented with vaccination and specific prevention mechanisms such as topical treatments for fleas, some cannot and have become so prolific that State and Local city ordinances have been created for the management and removal of urban wildlife.

Common Diseases and Parasites spread by wildlife in urban areas

• Distemper
• Rabies
• Fleas
• Heartworms (though Mosquitos) – Infection of cats and dogs that requires expensive treatments
• Ticks – vector spread from small wildlife with poor grooming habits more common in near rural areas
• Parvovirus – Viral disease spread to dogs resulting in high rate of mortality
• Lyme Disease – Tick born illness with multiple variants that are difficult to detect
• Rat Lung Worm – disease spread through the aspiration of eggs into human hosts
• Pinworms – small worm spread through soil contamination absorbed through bare feet from fecal
• Ringworm – Fungus commonly spread by cats from vectors such as mice and other small animals
• Tapeworms – common in most wildlife persists throughout life and spread using egg sacks in fecal matter where ingestion starts the process in a new host
• Leptospirosis
• Giardiasis – contaminated water causing acute intestinal problems spread by birds and small mammal fecal contamination

Links to Urban Wildlife Diseases

Texas A&M Wildlife Diseases