Is skunk feces dangerous to touch or breathe?

Skunks are a common nuisance critters in suburban or rural areas. Their feces carry some extremely harsh parasitic worms that when handled, one needs to thoroughly disinfect their hands lest they get infected. The location of the poop needs to be bleached to avoid the risk of the potentially deadly parasites. Skunk poop harbors lots of parasitic worms and eggs, use gloves in case you need to handle it. Always be cautious with these rodents and take the right precautions while dealing with them.

The danger of skunk feces?
An exceedingly skunk infested region needs to be approached with great precaution. The feces not only diffuse diseases through contact, but also through inhalation. Moist and old feces are prone to fungal activity. Fungus thrive on the poop as it provides the ideal situation. When such feces are disturbed, the spores become airborne which when inducted in the body, become fatal. It is therefore crucial to wear goggles and breathing apparatus to filter out the deathly spores. Place the droppings in sealed garbage bags and incinerate or dispose them appropriately.

Ways skunks communicate diseases
Skunks are shy animals but no matter how shy they are, they are wild animal. Wild animals are adept pest hoarders and would attack when incited. Skunks will avoid unnecessary face offs with human but will bite if they have no option. Such bites are toxic and rabid. Diseases transmission from skunks is so diverse, it can be through:

• biting
• scratching
• spaying
• urine contamination
• feces contact

Diseases passed to man
In addition to rabies, you can catch a number of diseases associated with skunks. Tularemia is one of its kind- transmitted through contact with feces, urine, scratch or bite. Its symptoms manifest after 3 to 5 days and include: fever, sepsis and little appetite.

Leptospirosis is the other disease contracted from feces. Symptoms include severe headaches, muscle pain, fever, joint pains and the severe form leads to meningitis, liver failure and kidney damage. Other diseases include Listeriosis, arbovirus, avian influenza, Brucellosis, herpes B, histoplasmosis, Baylisascaris columnaris, anthrax, and hepatitis among others.

Preventing skunk disease transmission
Other animals also contract diseases from skunks. Dogs, for instance, catch the canine distemper, hepatitis, and Listeriosis. Ensure that you vaccinate your dogs against rabies and canine distemper. For human, you just have to prevent skunk invasion, seal all entry holes in your compound. Trap and kill them consistently until they fear your home.