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News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
‘Zombie Squirrels' Spotted In US Gardens, Experts Explain What's Behind It
Last Updated: In the US, zombie squirrels with sores and bald patches have been seen due to squirrel fibromatosis, a virus causing tumors. Experts advise not to touch them; they usually recover. In the US, people claim to have seen 'zombie squirrels" in their gardens — normally cute rodents now appearing with sores and bald patches. It can't be any fun for the poor little critters to be infected with such a visible disease, and according to the Daily Mail, people were spotting them roaming around in wildlife as far back as 2023. No matter how bad it looks to us, it's far worse for a squirrel suffering from what experts believe is a case of squirrel fibromatosis. It's a virus which can be found among grey squirrels in the US and causes large visible tumours which look like warts to grow on the animal's skin, giving them the distinctive 'zombie' appearance people have noticed, LADBible reported. The virus means these warts can ooze pus, and while the squirrel normally recovers, in some cases, the disease will reach the internal organs and result in death for the little fuzzy creatures. According to wildlife experts, part of the reason for the more noticeable spread of the disease is people leaving bird feeders out in their gardens. Since it's a place for squirrels to congregate, it may be a spot where the disease is spread from animal to animal. Fortunately, the virus doesn't affect humans, but experts caution against touching or trying to help infected squirrels. In most cases, the animals recover on their own, and there's little humans can do to intervene. Wildlife biologist Shevenell Webb told the Bangor Daily News that, despite their alarming appearance, she 'would not recommend attempting to capture a squirrel infected with the virus." They explained: 'It's like when you get a large concentration of people, if someone is sick and it's something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it." The expert pointed out that people putting up bird feeders could actually be contributing to the spread of the virus. She said: 'You have one squirrel eating at the feeder that has the virus, and its saliva gets on the feeder of the other seeds, then another squirrel comes along and comes in contact with that saliva – it's the perfect place to spread squirrel pox." 'Like a lot of people, I love watching birds. Unfortunately, you can attract multiple squirrels to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus." This follows reports of so-called 'Frankenstein rabbits" spotted in the US, infected with the Shope papilloma virus (CPRV) — a disease that causes malignant tumours to form on rabbits, most often on their heads. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Is The Virus Causing ‘Zombie Rabbits' A Threat To Humans?
Residents of Fort Collins, Colorado, have been startled by an unusual sight: rabbits with black, tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads and faces. These disturbing protrusions have earned the infected animals the nickname "zombie rabbits," and has some wondering if they represent a risk to humans. What is Causing the Bizarre Growths? Fortunately, a zombie apocalypse has not fallen on the rabbit population in Colorado. Instead, the rabbits are infected with Shope papillomavirus, which is also known as cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CPRV). This virus was first discovered in the 1930s by researcher Richard Shope, who observed growths - often described as horns or tentacles - on wild rabbits. The virus is now known to be a DNA virus that is genetically related to human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause benign warts or certain types of cancer in humans. Shope virus is spread primarily through the bite of an arthropod, such as ticks and mosquitoes, and can lead to the development of wart-like tumors on an infected animal's head, face and around the mouth. Are These Rabbits a Threat to Humans? Despite their alarming appearance, these infected rabbits pose no threat to humans or their pets. Colorado Parks & Wildlife has indicated that Shope virus is not contagious to humans, dogs and cats. The virus is species-specific, meaning it can infect rabbits but it cannot crossover to infect humans, dogs, cats or most other animals. Wildlife and public health officials generally recommend not touching or handling visibly infected or sick wild animals; however, Shope virus itself represents no direct health risks to people or their pets. What Happens to the Infected Rabbits? Other than disqualifying the rabbits from a beauty contest, the growths that result from the infection are generally not fatal. If the growths become large enough, they can interfere with the rabbits' vision or their ability to eat and drink. Most of the tumors are benign, but in some cases, they can progress to malignant carcinomas (i.e., cancer). Most infected rabbits will survive their condition, but quality of life may be impacted depending on the size and location of the growths. Shope Virus' Connection to Humans and Cancer Research Although Shope papillomavirus is not able to cause disease in humans, its discovery has contributed to medical research and our understanding of human papillomavirus (HPV) and its relationship to cancer, specifically cervical cancer. Most humans are infected with an HPV virus at some point in their life, which can lead to the development of benign genital or skin warts, or in some cases, cancer of the cervix, head or neck. Human papillomaviruses integrate into the host cell's DNA and disrupt normal cell death pathways, which can result in overgrowth of cells and subsequent warts or tumors. The similarities between Shope virus and HPV are quite striking. Both are DNA viruses that can cause benign warts that may progress to malignant tumors. In 1984, the genome of Shope virus was sequenced, which revealed significant homology with HPV type 1a. Because of these similarities, Shope virus and the cottontail rabbit provided the first animal model to study viral-induced cancers, as well as their treatment and prevention. The identification of Shope virus laid the foundation for the subsequent discovery of HPV, and has contributed to research that ultimately led to development of vaccines against HPV. So if you happen to see a 'Zombie Rabbit' in the wild, remember there's no reason for concern. Instead, you can reflect on the lasting impact these animals and the virus causing their condition have had on medical research and human health.
