What are the “zombie squirrels” invading the United States this summer?

Viruses affect certain animals in North America

In recent times, rabbits in Colorado have been infected with a virus called Shopa papillomavirus, which has led to the appearance of a horny outgrowth on the face, head or neck of the rabbit. In some cases, these training courses hinder his diet, which can go as far as causing his death. The change in their appearance earned them the nickname “Frankenstein rabbits”.

A frequent pathology in squirrels

If the first reports go back to 2023, the observations of these squirrels have been more and more numerous since the beginning of the summer. If their appearance quickly led to the nickname “zombie squirrel”, these rodents would actually be affected by a contagious and frequent disease called the squirrel fibromatosis.

The latter is caused by a virus called Léporipoxvirus, which is transmitted by direct contacts between squirrels, through the lesions or saliva of an infected individual. Bird feeders, which attract squirrels containing seeds, are one of the main causes of the rapid propagation of the disease and the increase in the number of cases. “Unfortunately, we can attract several [écureuils] Towards this feeder and risk being exposed if one of them carries the virus ”, said Shevenell Webb, of the Department of Interior Fisheries and Maine fauna.

A little fatal disease

According to the New York PostFibromatosis of the squirrel is often confused with the smallpox of the squirrel, another skin disease present in rodents, but which is transmitted via a mosquito bite in the majority of cases. But the biggest difference between these two diseases remains their degree of danger.

Indeed, if the smallpox of the squirrel is known to be very serious or even fatal, fibromatosis, on the other hand, is rarely fatal. Visible tumors eventually disappear in a few weeks, as Shevenell Webb points out, “It is a natural disease that will disappear over time”. If this disease is not dangerous for humans, experts do not recommend any contact with these squirrels.

Source: New York Post