Encountering Coyotes: Coyote Interactions
Do Coyotes Carry Rabies? Other Diseases?
Do coyotes carry rabies?
Generally speaking, no, you do not need to worry about coyotes carrying rabies. Rabies is very rarely present in the Pacific Northwest. Outside the Pacific Northwest, rabies is rare; when rabies is present, it is extremely rare for coyotes to be infected.
Are there any other diseases coyotes carry that I should be worried about?
Research into other diseases among urban coyote populations is emerging, but what we do know is that some urban coyotes carry heartworm (a heart parasite) and mange (a skin disease). Heartworm can be transmitted to domestic dogs; it is recommended that dogs receive preventative treatment for heartworm and treatments are widely available. Mange can also be transmitted to pets and people, but direct contact is required, so transmission is unlikely.
For more information on disease transmission, check out the Urban Coyote Research Project’s research on disease transmission in urban coyotes.
Generally speaking, no, you do not need to worry about coyotes carrying rabies. Rabies is very rarely present in the Pacific Northwest. Outside the Pacific Northwest, rabies is rare; when rabies is present, it is extremely rare for coyotes to be infected.
Are there any other diseases coyotes carry that I should be worried about?
Research into other diseases among urban coyote populations is emerging, but what we do know is that some urban coyotes carry heartworm (a heart parasite) and mange (a skin disease). Heartworm can be transmitted to domestic dogs; it is recommended that dogs receive preventative treatment for heartworm and treatments are widely available. Mange can also be transmitted to pets and people, but direct contact is required, so transmission is unlikely.
For more information on disease transmission, check out the Urban Coyote Research Project’s research on disease transmission in urban coyotes.
Made possible by generous support from
|