Yes, raccoons are one common carrier of rabies. If you already have a problem with raccoons in your attic, you should get rid of them as soon as possible. You see, although raccoons are primarily nocturnal, they do often get some stuff done during the day. There has not been a reliable study to show the percentage of raccoons with rabies. You should not try to catch a raccoon yourself because you could be bitten. If you see a raccoon out during the day, you should observe it but should not approach it. Thousands of raccoons are tested for rabies every year in laboratories across the United States. Purestock/Purestock/Getty Images. The right way to deal with the rabies is to vaccinate the wild raccoons but not to kill them. This Site Might Help You. Raccoons are most likely to be infected with rabies. In that same report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 3 human rabies cases were reported. i keep food out there for my cat and the raccoon always eats it too. Killing the animals is never a solution. Even though all raccoons do not have rabies, it is always a good idea to stay away from them as much as you possibly can. However, not every raccoon does have rabies, and rabies in raccoons seems to be primarily located in the eastern and southeastern United States. The best way to do this is to have the raccoons trapped and relocated. How common is rabies in raccoons? How Do Raccoons Get Rabies? In that case, you should call your local animal control department. However, as far as reported cases of rabies are concerned, raccoons are one of the most likely wild animals to carry rabies. According to the Human Society, animals that have rabies can spread the virus only by biting another creature – like raccoon or squirrel – during the final stage of the disease. Animals get rabies the same way we can potentially get it. A dog or cat, if not vaccinated, is just as susceptible to rabies as a raccoon. Killing the animals is never a solution. People get exposed by the contact with the infected pets or infected raccoons. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 90 percent of confirmed rabies cases in the United States are found in wildlife, and that raccoons account for … What to Do If You See a Raccoon out in the Daytime. Even though all raccoons do not have rabies, it is always a good idea to stay away from them as much as you possibly can. shes kind of friendly but im scared to get close to her. there was a big raccoon in my back yard. A raccoon rabies epidemic has been spreading steadily since its start on the Eastern Seaboard in the 1950s. How can I help prevent raccoons from coming on my property? So as to reduce the risk presented, raccoons need to be vaccinated even while in the wild. The rabies … Once exposed to the virus this pesky animal may show no signs of having rabies for 2 months or longer. Because raccoons are vectors for rabies and several other diseases, you should contact your veterinarian anytime Fido has contact with a raccoon. If it looks sick or lethargic, is walking erratically or falling over, or appears paralyzed, it probably has rabies. However, even if it is hard to know which raccoon suffers the rabies, you have to know that all raccoons do not suffer the rabies. The majority of raccoons DO NOT have rabies. If an animal is rabid, then it can infect other animals. can i befriend a raccoon? While it is true that a rabid raccoon will exhibit a variety of unusual behaviors, activity during daytime is most definitely not a guaranteed indicator of rabies. Rabies is almost 100% fatal. How do raccoons get rabies? What to Do if a Dog Bites a Raccoon By Ben Team | Updated September 26, 2017. RE: do raccoons have rabies? So as to reduce the risk presented, raccoons need to be vaccinated even while in the wild. Despite the use of oral vaccines, not all raccoons are vaccinated, and the rabies epidemic has continued to grow. If your dog actually bit or tried to bite a raccoon, it's likely the dog got bit, too, and that's where the major risk … All raccoons do not have rabies, and they are not born with it. Rabies is a disease that is transmitted through bites/attacks from other animals which are infected. Rabies is most commonly transmitted when one carrier of the virus bites another animal. According to the Florida Department of Health, 2,409 of 3,674 confirmed cases of rabies between 1990 and 2009 were in raccoons. While all mammals can carry and transmit the rabies virus, raccoons, in addition to foxes, skunks, coyotes, and bats, are known to be primary carriers in the United States.These specific animals are considered rabies vector species and can carry the virus without ever showing any symptoms. Raccoons sometimes carry rabies, and … Only mammals can get the disease.