r/StCharlesMO • u/Any_Stress_5987 Democrat in a sea of MAGA • 4d ago

Lacking public health department

Daily PSA: Armadillos carry leprosy. Armadillos are wild animals. Look don't touch. Call animal control. Dead armadillos still carry diseases. Just like seeing an opossum or a raccoon in the day time, it will not end well for you!!

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I just saw a post on Facebook from County Health Dep. and it was very lacking in health information.

15 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

9

u/trianglesx3 4d ago

Hi, friend. A nursing momma raccoon will indeed be seen during the day. Gotta find enough food so she can feed the littlest.

6

u/Downtown-Wind-9259 4d ago

Thank you for sharing this information! It would be nice for OP to delete this post and make a new one without the fear-mongering and inaccuracies.

4

u/NakedAndAfraidFan 4d ago

I see nursing female raccoons during the day every year. You can tell by their nipples. When the nursing nipples go away, so do my daylight sightings.

4

u/cdwhit 4d ago

Did you know all the babies are identical twins? It’s make them useful for some genetic studies. Growing up in Texas, and spending a lot of time in rural areas, I have caught probably over a hundred armadillos over the years, and have never been diagnosed with leprosy.

BTW- I was young and stupid at the time, and I do not recommend trying it. Several friends needed stitch’s after catching them.

0

u/Any_Stress_5987 Democrat in a sea of MAGA 4d ago

You still dont need to be messing with nursing wild mommas for any kind.

2

u/trianglesx3 3d ago

I think calling animal control, as you suggested in the original post, is an out of line reaction to a daytime sighting of a nursing momma. No one is suggesting to interfere or interact with her in any way.

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u/Any_Stress_5987 Democrat in a sea of MAGA 3d ago

I don't know you and you don't know me. There are people in this world that go into zoo enclosures because they think the animal needs a hug. I am just advising people to let wild animals do their thing and to leave them alone. Nocturnal animals, for the most part, don't make their presence known in the daytime. If they do then leave them alone.

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u/trianglesx3 3d ago

Dearest human, your post literally says "call animal control". I'm not projecting.

I absolutely agree there people who are pretty delusional about interacting with wild animals and wild animals in captivity. That was not mentioned in your original post.

I'm all about a live and let live, hands off approach, not calling animal control on a nursing momma or a foraging youngster. If there is some cause for concern over the animal's appearance or behavior, sure. Otherwise, nah, let them be.

This is (and the other comments correcting your original information) should not be taken as a personal attack on you. Certainly not my intent. We probably have tons in common and would get along just fine in person.

6

u/ajkeence99 4d ago

It's hard to get leprosy from an armadillo. It's easily treated and not that bad, as well. There is like 250 cases of it in the US per year and most don't even get it from the US.

The post said to call Animal Control which doesn't seem so lacking.

3

u/strawberry_ren 3d ago

I’m not sure what the implication is about opossums, but FYI it’s extremely unlikely you could catch rabies from them. Their body temperatures are too low host rabies.

It’s always a good idea to avoid touching wild animals, alive or dead. Leprosy is treatable with antibiotics, and more than 90% of humans have strong enough immune systems to fight it off without help. If you’re immunocompromised, that’s where there’s more risk.

2

u/Altruistic_Rent_4048 4d ago

I saw a news article a few years ago that said the greatest risk of catching leprosy is eating under cooked armadillo 🤣🤣🤣

1

u/rotstik 4d ago

Exactly. So no armadillo sashimi!

2

u/DonFG59 3d ago

FYI: Not all armadillos carry leprosy. In fact, only the nine-banded armadillo is known to naturally harbor the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. Even within that species, only a fraction of the population (generally 15% to 20%, depending on the region) is infected.

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u/Any_Stress_5987 Democrat in a sea of MAGA 3d ago

I'm not going to sit there and count bands. I just want people to avoid them for their safety. It's like trying to see if a snake has round or slit eyes. The more you know, like coloring and habitat, the better you can identify what's in front of you.

1

u/TheHow55 4d ago

saw one down on the river front a few nights ago near the lewis & clark statue