Deborah Weisberg

Photos of rabbits, squirrels, and deer covered in dramatic, wart-like growths have gone viral on social media in recent weeks.
Although most of the pictures are from the Midwest, wildlife officials say the benign tumors, or fibromas, and the viruses that cause them, have long been present on the Pennsylvania landscape but aren’t as scary a health threat as they may look.
“It’s an easily observable condition and can be alarming to see,” said Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian Andrew DiSalvo, “but its lack of impact on populations precludes us from tracking cases.”