Biological Hazard in USA on September 30 2018 08:46 AM (UTC).
At least 176 Central Park raccoons have now perished in an outbreak of a virus that causes them to act like "zombies" - and three more from Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx were recently infected. The critters are believed to have had the canine distemper virus, a fatal illness that can't affect humans but may spread to unvaccinated dogs, officials said. Any sick raccoons found were humanely euthanized. Raccoons with distemper will act weird, appearing tame or confused before losing their coordination, becoming unconscious and often dying. Some may even get aggressive. The Pelham Bay Park "zombie" raccoons were found between Aug. 18 and Sept. 13 in the dog run, a BBQ area and the Playground for All Children, according to the Parks Department. A disoriented raccoon with crust on its eyes was found in Brooklyn's Prospect Park on Thursday and sent for testing for the disease, which requires animals be euthanized. Two other sick raccoons from Riverside Park on the Upper West Side tested negative for canine distemper virus earlier this month. Authorities don't believe the Pelham Bay cases are related to the outbreak in Central Park, where the first infected raccoon was found June 24. But pet owners are still advised to keep their dogs on a leash at both parks. The last sickly Central Park raccoon was collected Sept. 7. The leash warning will be in place until a month passes without new cases. "While the collection of sick raccoons has slowed in Central Park, the outbreak has not yet been deemed ended," parks spokeswoman Kelly Krause said.
Biological Hazard in USA on September 30 2018 08:46 AM (UTC).
Base data Geographic information Number of affected people Biohazard information
Common Alerting Protocol information
Category Env Pollution and other environmental
Certainty Observed Determined to have occurred or to be ongoing
Scope Public For general dissemination to unrestricted audiences
Severity Moderate Possible threat to life or property
Urgency Past Responsive action is no longer required
Base data
EDIS Number BH-20180930-64860-USA
Event type Biological Hazard
Date/Time September 30 2018 08:46 AM (UTC)
Last update September 30 2018 08:48 AM (UTC)
Cause of event
Reliability of information Authentic source : Information from trusted source (newspapers, emails, websites). Reliability: at least 70%
Damage level Is not or not known Damage level
Affected area Multi-counties event : Event affected several counties. It can not be more than 50% of the higher-level area (state, province, etc.)
Geographic information
Continent North-America
Country USA
County / State State of New York
Area Central Park, Manhattan and Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx
Settlement New York City
Coordinate 40.78, -73.97
Number of affected people / Humanities loss
Dead person(s) 0
Injured person(s) 0
Missing person(s) 0
Evacuated/rescued person(s) 0
Affected person(s) 0
Foreign people 0
Biohazard information
Biohazard level 3/4 - Hight
Biohazard description Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Disease, agent name Unidentified Fatal Illness
Infected person(s) 0
Species 2
Status 1
Symptomes
