Distemper spreading through local raccoon population

The Boulder County Animal Control Unit has confirmed that a recent rash of raccoon deaths in Niwot was caused by canine distemper, a viral disease that is sometimes confused with rabies.

"We have seen a lot of distemper in Niwot," animal control supervisor Sarah Spensieri said. "I know that I personally was out on Franklin on a call last week, and we also had one on CenterBridge and one on SpringHill. So they're kind of all over the place."

Outbreaks of canine distemper are not a threat to humans, Spensieri said, but residents should exercise caution with their pets around wildlife. The virus spreads through direct or aerosol contact with the bodily fluids of an infected animal, such as mucous, urine, or feces. As the name suggests, domestic dogs are susceptible to the disease, but only if they're unvaccinated. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, other animals that can transmit the disease include coyotes, skunks, fox and black-footed ferrets. Feline distemper, which affects domestic and feral cats, is caused by a different virus.

Distemper primarily attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological systems of the animal and can cause a wide range of symptoms, most notably excess eye and nose discharge. Spensieri said it usually also causes atypical behaviors, especially in raccoons.

"They will be out in the daytime. The ones we have seen this week have a lot of secretion on their faces, so their eyes are crusted shut, and they have a very distinct runny nose. They are slow to walk around, or you will see them out in broad daylight in the sunshine, and they're having seizures. So they'll just sit there and chatter their teeth or sit on their backside for a little bit and then keep moving. So that's very distinctive of distemper."

The neurological symptoms draw the rabies comparison, but the latter disease isn't as common among raccoons in Colorado, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It is also uncommon to see "eye goop" in animals with rabies, Spensieri said.

Currently, there is no treatment or cure for distemper, and it is almost always fatal in wild animals. Spensieri said that animal control will respond to calls of ill-looking or lethargic raccoons if they are "immobile or can no longer move."

"We will respond and humanely euthanize them to put them out of their misery, and so they don't spread the disease any further."

Unless the animal is suspected of biting a person or pet, the carcass is then disposed of without further testing.

Spensieri added that animal control does not respond to reports of dead animals, even ones with suspected cases of distemper.

"As a property owner, it's your responsibility to dispose of it, but do so in a smart way," she said. "Double-bag it, use gloves to pick it up, that kind of thing."

For more information about canine distemper, visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife's wildlife health page.