Syracuse.com - Cayuga County health dept. official: CNYers should think twice before dining on raccoon

[HuntingNY-News]

They’re a wildlife species with a high incidence of rabies.

Eileen O’Connor, director of environmental health for the Cayuga County Health Department, said she was alarmed and concerned after reading my story last week about Central New Yorkers eating from Mother Nature’s “B Menu.”

The story highlighted folks who have dined on a variety of less popular wild game, including raccoon, squirrel, muskrat and other animals.

“Eating raccoons ... are you kidding me?” O’Connor said, noting they’re a wildlife species with a high incidence of rabies.

O’Connor conceded the virus would most likely be killed during the cooking process, but pointed out the dangers of an individual handling a rabid raccoon carcass beforehand. Rabies is a deadly disease for which there is no cure, she said.

“The rabies virus is present in the saliva and nervous tissue of these animals,” she said. “If you get any of that in your eyes, mouth, nose or on an open wound, you have a significant risk of contracting rabies.”

I always thought it would be obvious if a raccoon was rabid based on its erratic behavior. O’Connor disagreed.

“Behavior is not an accurate indicator if an animal has rabies or not,” she said.

The state Department of Health website noted that along with raccoons, foxes and skunks are high-risk animals for rabies. During 2010, there were 250 reports of rabid raccoons across the state — 10 in Cayuga County alone.

O’Connor said if anyone suspects they have been exposed to a rabid animal they should contact their local health department, where arrangements for post-exposure treatment can be arranged.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog