Latest news with #papilloma
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Zombie squirrels' with horrific flesh sores invading gardens
Residents in the US and Canada have been left horrified after spotting grey squirrels covered in bulbous growths that split open and leak pus - with images showing tumors spreading across their bodies Gardens across North America are being invaded by grotesque squirrels riddled with oozing sores - and experts say garden bird feeders could be fuelling the outbreak. Residents in the US and Canada have been left horrified after spotting grey squirrels covered in bulbous growths that split open and leak pus. Disturbing photos show the creatures with tumours spreading across their faces, eyes, legs, and even their private parts. The freakish phenomenon first surfaced in Maine in 2023, when locals captured images of the stricken animals. Since then, reports have snowballed online, with stunned social media users swapping theories about the grisly condition. Some claimed it could be "squirrel pox," but wildlife officials believe the more likely culprit is squirrel fibromatosis - a virus that disfigures the rodents with wart-like lumps. And everyday bird feeders may be turning the problem into an epidemic. "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," warned Shevenell Webb of Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The virus, spread through saliva and open lesions, is harmless to humans and pets but brutal on squirrels. Experts say people should avoid touching them at all costs. "I would not recommend trying to capture a squirrel that has the virus," Webb told the Bangor Daily News. "It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time." While most squirrels eventually recover, the disease can sometimes penetrate internal organs - leaving the creatures doomed. It comes as another mysterious virus in Colorado has transformed rabbits into alien-looking creatures with black tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads. The so-called Frankenbunnies have been reported multiple times in Fort Collins, with local resident Susan Mansfield said she spotted a cottontail rabbit covered in what appeared to be "black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth." She told 9News: "I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't. He came back a second year, and it grew." Another witness described the infected animal as having "a scabbiesh-looking growth over their face." The culprit behind these eerie deformities is cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also known as Shope papilloma virus, which triggers tumour growths around the rabbits' heads. Parasites such as fleas and ticks transmit the virus through their bites, according to Pet MD. Authorities have urged the public to steer clear of the affected animals.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Toronto Sun
'Frankenbunnies' with spikes on heads scaring Americans
'Frankenbunnies' have strange growths coming out of their heads. Photo by SCREEN GRAB / Reddit/Different_Try3353 These frightening rabbits have people hopping for cover in the U.S. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A rapidly spreading virus is causing cottontail rabbits to grow black, tentacle-like growths out of their heads, prompting warnings to stay away from the mutated animals. The creatures, dubbed 'Frankenbunnnies,' have been seen multiple times in Fort Collins, Colo., per the New York Post . 'I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't,' resident Susan Manfield told 9News, per the Post , after she said she saw a rabbit with what looked like 'black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth.' However, she said, 'he came back a second year, and it grew.' Another person described the infected rabbits as having a 'scabbiesh-looking growth over their face.' The bunny problem is caused by cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), which is also known as Shope papilloma virus. It causes cottontails to sprout tumors around their head and is spread by parasites, ticks and fleas, which pass on the ailment through their bites, according to Pet MD. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Typically, rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks,' Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said, per the Coloradoan . Recommended video Recent sightings have occurred in Colorado but the disease most frequently comes up in the Midwest. With rampant CRPV sightings, wildlife experts are warning people not to approach or handle any of the afflicted rabbits. While the virus can spread between rabbits, it's not known to infect humans or pets. As such it is not considered a threat to public health, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. According to the U.K. Daily Mail , the protrusions can grow to the point where they interfere with the infected rabbit's ability to eat, causing the animals to die of starvation. The disease is more severe in domestic bunnies than their wild brethren. CRPV has no known cure. Read More Toronto & GTA Columnists Canada Money News CFL
New York Post
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Freaky ‘Frankenstein' rabbits have been spotted in these 2 states: ‘They're all over here'
It's hare today, gone tomorrow — thanks to a face full of freaky tentacles. The grotesque 'Frankenstein'-esque rabbits — once just a Colorado curiosity — are now turning up in Minnesota and Nebraska, their furry faces sprouting grotesque horn- and tentacle-like growths straight out of a B-movie. The unsettling deformities are the calling card of cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also known as Shope papilloma virus — a bug that turns harmless bunnies into nightmare fuel. The DNA-twisting illness is spread when mosquitoes, ticks, or fleas bite an infected rabbit and then pass it along to others. While the virus doesn't affect humans or pets like dogs and cats, wildlife officials are warning: look, don't touch. 4 Mother Nature's gone mad scientist on America's rabbits, with more and more 'Frankenbunnies' emerging in two additional states. Universal Images Group via Getty Images First, the infection appears as small, red bumps. Then, as the virus works its dark magic, the spots erupt into wart-like tumors — which can harden into keratinized papillomas, the bizarre 'horns' and 'tentacles' now haunting Midwestern lawns. In some cases, those warts morph into deadly skin cancer. And this summer could be prime bunny-horror season: mosquito and tick numbers soar in the warm months, giving CRPV plenty of winged and crawling couriers to spread it across the heartland. 4 The freaky growths are the handiwork of cottontail papilloma virus — aka Shope papilloma virus — a bug that turns cuddly bunnies into straight-up nightmares. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Locals in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been spotting the deformed rabbits for weeks. Resident Susan Mansfield told 9News she saw one with what looked like 'black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth.' 'I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't,' she said. 'He came back a second year, and it grew.' On Reddit, one Minnesotan recently reported seeing the phenomenon 'for the last few years in Minnesota,' adding that the rabbits around them 'died off who had it.' Another chimed in: 'They're all over here in St. Paul. When I google them, it's hundreds of MN based photos.' 4 Summer could be peak bunny-horror season: swarms of mosquitoes and ticks are spreading CRPV across the Midwest. Gunnar Boettcher/AP Meanwhile in Nebraska, one shocked resident posted a video of a bunny with the same creepy, fleshy appendages sprouting from its head and dangling beneath its mouth. CRPV isn't new — scientists have known about it for decades. In 2013, a Minnesota man's video of a tendril-ridden rabbit went viral, with viewers comparing it to the fabled Jackalope. While the virus is harmless to people, it can be deadly for the rabbits — sometimes growing so large that the twisted protrusions block their mouths, causing starvation, as per The Daily Mail. 4 Reddit users from Minnesota and Nebraska are sharing sightings of the freaky, tentacle-faced rabbits hopping through their neighborhoods. Reddit/Different_Try3353 And in domestic bunnies, the growths can lead to squamous cell carcinoma, a potentially fatal skin cancer. With no cure, experts warn to keep pets away, resist the urge to 'help,' and unfortunately let nature — however nightmarish — run its course.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Health
- Sky News AU
‘Frankenstein' rabbits with horrifying spikes growing from their heads are invading the US - and experts warn to stay away
It's not just a bad hare day. A rapidly spreading virus is causing cottontail rabbits to grow black, tentacle-like growths out of their heads, prompting warnings to steer clear of the mutated animals. The so-called Frankenbunnies have been spotted multiple times in Fort Collins, Colo. Resident Susan Mansfield told 9News she saw a rabbit with what looked like 'black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth.' 'I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't,' she said. 'He came back a second year, and it grew.' One person described the infected critter as having 'a scabbiesh-looking growth over their face.' The so-called bunny blight is actually a disease called cottontail papilloma virus, also known as Shope papilloma virus, which causes cottontails to sprout tumors around their head. It is spread by parasites like ticks and fleas, which pass on the ailment through their bites, according to Pet MD. 'Typically rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks,' said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose, per the Coloradoan. While the recent sightings occurred in Colorado, the disease most frequently rears its horny head in the Midwest. The rabbits, on the other hand, are often not so lucky. Although cases can resolve on their own, the Medusa-like protrusions can also balloon up to the point that they interfere with the infected carrot cruncher's ability to eat, causing the creatures to die of starvation, the Daily Mail reported. In addition, the disease is more severe in domestic bunnies than their wild brethren, with the big fear being that they can develop squamous cell carcinoma — a serious and potentially fatal skin cancer. For this reason, experts advise keeping wild rabbits away from pets. If a rabbit does become infected, veterinarians can surgically excise the malevolent dreadlocks before they can become malignant. Unfortunately, CRPV has no known cure. Originally published as 'Frankenstein' rabbits with horrifying spikes growing from their heads are invading the US - and experts warn to stay away
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Stay away' from 'Frankenrabbits' found with black tentacles growing from heads
The so-called Frankenbunnies have been spotted with what locals describe as 'black quills or toothpicks sticking out all around' their mouths thanks to a virus A mysterious virus is transforming rabbits in the US into alien-looking creatures with black tentacle-like growths sprouting from their heads. Authorities have urged the public to steer clear of the affected animals. The so-called Frankenbunnies have been reported multiple times in Fort Collins, Colorado. Local resident Susan Mansfield said she spotted a cottontail rabbit covered in what appeared to be 'black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth.' She told 9News: 'I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn't. He came back a second year, and it grew.' Another witness described the infected animal as having 'a scabbiesh-looking growth over their face.' The culprit behind these eerie deformities is cottontail papilloma virus (CRPV), also known as Shope papilloma virus, which triggers tumour growths around the rabbits' heads. Parasites such as fleas and ticks transmit the virus through their bites, according to Pet MD. 'Typically rabbits become infected in the warmer months of summer when transmitted by being bitten by insects like fleas and ticks,' explained Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose, the Coloradoan reports. While the latest sightings are from Colorado, the virus is most commonly found in the Midwest. In 2013, a Minnesota resident sparked a media frenzy with a video of a rabbit covered in tendrils, dubbing it a 'Frankenstein' bunny and drawing comparisons to the mythical Jackalope - a long-running hoax created by antlered taxidermy rabbits. Wildlife experts are now warning people not to approach or handle the affected rabbits. CRPV does not pose a threat to humans or pets, even though it spreads easily among wild rabbits, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The infected rabbits, however, often face grim outcomes. While some cases resolve naturally, the growths can become so large that they prevent the animal from eating, leading to starvation. Domestic rabbits are particularly vulnerable, with the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma - a serious and potentially fatal skin cancer. Experts advise keeping pets away from wild rabbits to avoid infection. At present, there is no known cure for CRPV.
