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Canine distemper hurting raccoon populations in Ohio, elsewhere

Raccoons are common sites in agricultural fields in northwest Ohio as well as other parts of the state. An outbreak of canine distemper, however, is being blamed for thinning this species’ population. (Photo by John Hageman)

If one looks over the police blotter that is published in the Sandusky Register, you would notice an abnormally high number of calls that have been made to local law enforcement agencies requesting help dealing with sick raccoons.
Similar reports have popped up in newspapers in Akron (2023), Cincinnati (2023), Youngstown (2021), and well beyond Ohio this spring and in each of the past several years about “zombie raccoons” wandering around during daylight hours. Despite the suspicion and fears of some observers, rabies is not usually the cause of raccoon sicknesses, especially in Ohio.

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