Wildlife includes any undomesticated animal living in the wild, including those hunted for food, sport, or profit. Many people enjoy watching wildlife, and studies have shown that positive encounters with wildlife can have profound, life-changing effects on people. If you and your pets spend time outdoors around wildlife, you need to be aware of the diseases that can spread from wildlife to you and your pets.

Because wild animals can carry diseases without appearing to be sick, it is important to enjoy wildlife from a distance. Close contact with wildlife or their urine or droppings can spread these diseases to people and pets.

To protect yourself and your family from getting sick:

• Avoid hand-feeding wildlife.
• Avoid playing or working in areas where there are wildlife droppings.
• Leave orphaned animals alone. Often the parents are close by and will return for their young.
• Always wash your hands and the hands of children with running water and soap after working or playing outside, especially in areas where wildlife have been spotted.

By following some simple health tips, you are less likely to get sick from wildlife in the United States.

Help Keep Wildlife Wild

One of the best parts of spending time outdoors is seeing wildlife. But when you get too close to wild animals, you risk hurting yourself or the animal, or even getting a disease. If you spend time outdoors, keep your distance from wildlife to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Why we should keep wildlife wild

When people feed or come in close contact with wild animals repeatedly, those animals can lose their fear of humans. This can cause wild animals to hurt people or pets or get themselves hurt while searching for food. Feeding wild animals can cause more harm than good, changing their natural migration patterns or behavior.

Wild animals can also spread diseases to people and pets.

Enjoy wildlife from a distance

• Never touch a wild animal, no matter how cute or friendly it seems.
• Birdfeeders are fine, but don’t feed other wild animals.Be aware that birdfeeders can attract other wildlife. Don’t let bird food accumulate on the ground.
• If an animal looks sick or hurt, call your local wildlife agency to help.
• Don’t touch young animals that look abandoned. Often their parents are close by waiting for you to leave before they return to their young.
• Leave rescuing wild animals to the pros – don’t bring a wild animal into your home.
• Don’t touch or pick up dead animals with your bare hands.
• Protect wildlife in your national parks and local recreational areas by staying on trails and following visitor guidelines, including those for pet waste and trash disposal.

Being outdoors means being with wildlife. Many people never encounter a bear. But if you do, here's some simple advice:

• DO NOT RUN.
• Remain calm.
• Group together and pick up small children.
• Continue to face the bear and back away slowly, talking calmly to identify yourself as a human.
• If the bear continues to approach, try to scare it away by making yourself as large and imposing as possible by stretching your arms overhead and making loud noises.
• Carry and know how to use bear spray, which is available at many outdoor retailers and can be used to deter a charging bear.

Food Storage

Bears are always searching for food. Bears are curious, intelligent animals that have great memories. Their eyesight is similar to humans and their sense of smell is seven times more powerful than a blood hound’s, enabling them to smell food from miles away.

Food storage lockers are provided at many campsites and should be used at all times to store attractants (U.S. Forest Service).

Those are the very traits that can sometimes get them – and us – into trouble. Most bears are wary of humans and try to avoid them. However, bears can learn to associate people with food and be tenacious in their pursuit of something to eat. Even if humans are around.

Everyone in bear country must do our part to store food and other attractants in bear-resistant containers at all times, and dispose of trash in bear-resistant dumpsters.

Bears remember and recognize familiar food sources like favorite berry patches, decaying logs swarming with delectable insects, and streams and rivers teeming with fish that provide much needed fat and protein.

But bears also remember human packs, campsites, and dwellings offer tempting options. While bears are attracted to any edible food, they also might try to feast on items we might not consider edible:

• toothpaste
• shampoo
• lotion
• soap
• cooking utensils
• empty cans
• wrappers
• coolers
• pet food
• bird seed
• garbage
• petroleum products (including fuel)

There are three species of bears living in North America:

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are the most abundant and widely distributed of the three species of North American bears. Black bears vary in color from jet black to cinnamon to white, although black is the color encountered most frequently. Given the number and extensive range of black bears in North America, this is the bear species you are most likely to encounter during your visit to the national forests.

Brown bears and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are the same species, even though there are notable differences between them. “Brown bears” typically live along the southern coast of Alaska where they have access to seasonally abundant spawning salmon. The smaller “grizzly bear” lives in the northern and interior areas of Alaska as well as the northern Cascades and Rocky Mountains of the lower 48 states.

Polar bears live in the arctic and are not found in any of our national forests.

Here are more tips to help you stay safe while visiting bear country. Know more about bear interactions by contacting the camp host or district ranger at your national forest or grassland destination.

Hiking in Bear Country

• Do not feed bears or other wildlife.
• Visit or call the local Forest Service office to learn about special requirements or guidelines for the area.
• Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return.
• Read all signs at trailheads.
• Stay alert, do not wear headphones and cautiously approach any blind corners in the trail.
• Carry bear spray such that it is easily accessible. Know how to use it.
• Hike as a group, keep children with you and dogs leashed.
• Make plenty of noise.
• For extended trips, keep food and other attractants in personal use size bear resistant containers.
• If you see a bear, maintain a safe distance and alter your route to avoid the bear. Never block a bear’s travel route.
• If you see a cub alone, don't approach. Momma bear could be nearby.

Camping in Bear Country

• Do not feed bears or other wildlife.
• Visit or call the local Forest Service office to learn about special requirements or guidelines for properly storing food while camping in the area.
• Keep a clean camp site.
• Do not store food or any scented items in a tent, including clothing with food residues.
• Do not leave food unattended at a campsite or in your vehicle.
• Use bear-resistant food lockers and dumpsters where provided or bring your own.
• Clean utensils and food prep area thoroughly after cooking.
• Do not store garbage at camp site. Use a designated dumpster.
• At an undeveloped camping location, cook and store food away from sleeping area.

• Pheasants are not native to North America. They are originally from Asia. There are accounts of pheasants being brought to the U.S. in the 1770s, but their first real introduction was in 1881 when Judge Owen Nickerson Denny, a U.S. consul to China who liked the taste of pheasant meat, shipped 60 ringed-neck pheasants from China to Washington state. A majority of the birds survived the ocean crossing, but most died during the overland trip from Washington to Denny’s home state of Oregon. The few surviving birds were released on the lower Columbia River. Denny released more pheasants in 1882 and 1884 and they flourished in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Today, ringed-neck pheasants have been introduced in 40 of the 50 states.
• The ring-necked pheasant is South Dakota’s state bird, one of only three U.S. state birds that are a non-native species.
• In captivity, ring-necked pheasants can live 11 to 18 years. In the wild, their average lifespan is 3 years.
• Native to central Vietnam, the Vietnam pheasant is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. High levels of hunting pressure and lowland forest deterioration have driven the bird’s decline. The remaining wild population of Vietnam pheasants is likely extremely small and fragmented.
• Pheasants nest on the ground, and when startled, will burst to the sky in a “flush.” They can fly fast (up to 60 miles per hour when chased) for short distances, but prefer to run and can get up to speeds of 8 to 10 miles per hour.
• Pheasants do not migrate. They stay local year-round.
• Male pheasants are roosters or cocks, and females are hens. One rooster usually has a harem of three to seven hens. A group of pheasants is called a nest, nide (nye), or bouquet.
• Pheasants are hunted for sport and for meat. Because of their attractive plumage, some species of pheasant are kept as ornamental birds. There are both wild and farm-raised pheasants in the United States.
• Pheasants are sexually dimorphic, meaning there are distinct differences between the sexes. Males are brightly colored and larger than the smaller brown females.
• There are a small number of FDA-approved drugs to treat farm-raised pheasants that are sick. Most of the drugs are used to kill parasites, but a few are used to treat bacterial diseases. Pheasants are almost always given medication in their feed. If a medication is put in their water, they detect the taste and will drink from puddles in the field rather than their regular water.

Your chances of encountering a mountain lion are small. However, mountain lion attacks have been on the rise as humans increasingly enter these cats’ territory. If at any time you spot a mountain lion, report the sighting or encounter to your local forest ranger station or visitor center as soon as possible.

Mountain lion facts

• The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots.
• Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds.
• Generally speaking, mountain lions can be found wherever deer are present. Their usual habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain.
• Mountain lions can be found in deserts as well as coastal forests, and from sea level to 10,000-foot elevations.
• An adult male's home range is typically more than 100 square miles and females generally use smaller areas, approximately 20 to 60 square miles

Hiking and camping in mountain lion habitat

• Do not hike alone. Go in groups, with adults supervising children.
• Avoid dawn and dusk excursions.
• Keep children close to you. Animals seem especially drawn to children.
• Pick up small children. The mountain lion will see small children as easier prey.
• Do not approach a lion. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation, so give them a way to escape.
• Do not run from a lion. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase.
• Do not crouch down or bend over. A human standing does not resemble a mountain lion's natural prey.
• Do all you can to appear larger. Raise your arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Wave your arms slowly and speak firmly in a loud voice.
• Fight back if attacked. Mountain lions usually try to bite the head or neck; try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.

• Reindeer and caribou are the same animal (Rangifer tarandus) and are a member of the deer family. In Europe, they are called reindeer. In North America, the animals are called caribou if they are wild and reindeer if they are domesticated.
• Both male and female reindeer grow antlers, while in most other deer species, only the males have antlers. Compared to their body size, reindeer have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species. A male’s antlers can be up to 51 inches long, and a female’s antlers can reach 20 inches.
• Unlike horns, antlers fall off and grow back larger each year. Male reindeer begin to grow antlers in February and female reindeer in May. Both sexes finish growing their antlers at the same time but shed them at different times of the year. Males drop their antlers in November, leaving them without antlers until the following spring, while females keep their antlers through the winter until their calves are born in May.
• Reindeer are covered in hair from their nose to the bottom of their feet (hooves). The hairy hooves may look funny, but they give reindeer a good grip when walking on frozen ground, ice, mud, and snow.
• Reindeer are the only deer species to have hair completely covering their nose. Their specialized nose helps to warm incoming cold air before it enters their lungs, and it’s also an excellent sniffer. Their good sense of smell helps the reindeer find food hidden under snow, locate danger, and recognize direction. Reindeer mainly travel into the wind so they can pick up scents.
• Reindeer eat mosses, herbs, ferns, grasses, and the shoots and leaves of shrubs and trees, especially willow and birch. In winter, they make do with lichen (also called reindeer moss) and fungi, scraping the snow away with their hooves to get it. An average adult reindeer eats 9 to 18 pounds of vegetation a day.
• Reindeer travel, feed, and rest together throughout the day in herds of 10 to a few hundred. In spring, they may form super-herds of 50,000 to 500,000 animals. The herds generally follow food sources, traveling south up to 1,000 miles when food is hard to find in winter.
• Reindeer are the only deer species to be widely domesticated. They are used as beasts of burden and farmed for their milk, meat, and hides.
• The antiparasitic drug ivermectin is FDA-approved to treat and control warbles in reindeer. Warbles is a parasitic infection caused by the reindeer warble fly. The fly’s larvae can penetrate the reindeers’ skin, causing harm to the milk, meat, and hides of domesticated herds. The larvae can also cause disease in people.
• Santa’s reindeer were first mentioned in 1821 when New York printer William Gilley published a 16-page booklet titled A New Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve, Part III by an anonymous author:
  
  Old Santeclaus with much delight
  His reindeer drives this frosty night.
  O'er chimneytops, and tracks of snow,
  To bring his yearly gifts to you.
  
  Two years later, in 1823, the Troy Sentinel published the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, commonly known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. The poem featured eight flying reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh, and for the first time, they are identified by name. (Quiz Question 1: Can you name all eight of Santa’s reindeer?)
  
  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began guiding Santa’s sleigh in 1939, when Robert L. May wrote the story of “the most famous reindeer of all” as a Christmas coloring book for his employer, the department store Montgomery Ward. The company gave away the coloring books as holiday gifts to children to entice their parents to visit and shop at the store. (Quiz Question 2: What two names did May consider for his red-nosed reindeer before settling on Rudolph?)
  
  In 1948, May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks made the story into a song. It was featured in a cartoon shown in movie theaters, but wasn’t released as a stand-alone recording until 1949 when “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry recorded the song and its popularity soared. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of the biggest-selling Christmas songs of all time. (Quiz Question 3: Is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer a male or female?)

Quiz Answers:

1. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.
2. Rollo and Reginald.
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer must be a female to have those antlers on Christmas Eve!

Bats are a very important part of our ecosystem. They are the primary predator of a vast number of pests that cost farmers and foresters billions of dollars annually. Bats also pollinate flowers and disperse seeds that make the rain forest grows and the deserts bloom. Wherever they are, they are critical elements to the health of our natural resources.

But bats, too, have a bad reputation among some people. They are often associated with vampires and are feared carriers of rabies. However, few people will ever be exposed to a rabies-suspect animal or need medical intervention due to potential exposure while camping. In fact, most bats don’t have rabies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the outdoors, bats use trees, cliffs, caves, buildings, water, bridges and mineshafts in a variety of habitats. Seeing bats outdoors is common. If you notice bats where you are recreating, you should

• avoid any physical contact;
• use screens or mosquito netting to prevent them from getting into your outdoor living space; and
• do not touch a bat that cannot fly, see during the day, or flying in the winter; that bat might be sick. Stay away but also notify a forest ranger.

When it comes to bats, the biggest threat could be you.

In many national forests and grasslands, caves are off limits because millions of bats are dying from white-nose syndrome. Scientists believe the disease has caused the most dramatic decline of North American wildlife in more than 100 years.

The disease is spread from bat-to-bat, from soil to bat and from humans through transmission of spores on clothing and equipment.

Here is how you can help bats:

• Stay out of caves and mines where bats are hibernating and honor cave closings.
• Following the National WNS Decontamination Protocol to clean and disinfect clothes, footwear, and equipment used in caves or mines.
• Report bats showing signs of white-nose syndrome, and bats that are dead, dying, or appear diseased, to a forest ranger.
• Spread the word about the need to save our bats.

You can help keep yourself and other visitors safe and wildlife wild by setting a good example! Remember to treat wildlife with proper caution and respect. The safety of these animals, as well as your safety, depends on everyone using good judgment and following these simple guidelines.

1. Know before you go. Every park is unique and has specific guidelines, including minimum wildlife viewing distances and food storage requirements. Before you head out on the trail, take a few minutes to review the park’s rules.

2. Give animals room. The best way to stay safe when watching wildlife is to give animals room to move. Many parks require you to stay a minimum distance of 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from predators like bears and wolves. (Check with your park: for example, Olympic National Park requires a minimum distance of 50 yards.) Parks provide a unique opportunity to view animals’ natural behavior in the wild. In general, if animals react to your presence you are too close. If you’re close enough for a selfie, you’re definitely too close. Use binoculars or a zoom lens and move back if wildlife approach you. Let wildlife be wild and observe from a distance.

3. Do not disturb. Even when you’re farther away, leaving wildlife alone can help your viewing experience—plus it’s the law. It’s illegal to feed, touch, tease, frighten, or intentionally disturb wildlife. Remember that wildlife in parks are wild and can be unpredictable when they’re disturbed or surprised. Interacting with wildlife also can cause harm to both people and wildlife, including injury and disease. Stay on trails to help keep human presence in predictable areas. If dogs are allowed, keep them on-leash (most parks have a 6-foot leash policy) pick up fecal matter and ensure they are vaccinated, and do not use bird calls or wildlife calls and attractants.

4. Keep your eyes on the road. Vehicle strikes are one of the most deadly types of encounters for wildlife in parks. Roads cut through their habitats or migration routes. Be sure to always follow the speed limits and watch for wildlife that may dart into the road. When you want to stop to watch wildlife, pull your vehicle completely off of the road into a designated pull-out—this keeps wildlife safe as well as other motorists.

5. Store your food and stash your trash. Feeding wildlife in parks can make them come looking for more. To an animal, anything that smells like food is treated like food. Access to trash, and even crumbs left on picnic tables can attract them. Once they have learned that people are a source of food, wildlife can become aggressive toward people. This puts you at risk of injury and the wildlife at risk of being removed and humanely killed by wildlife managers. Don’t be responsible for the death of wildlife! Keep a clean picnic area or campsite, and store your food and dispose of garbage in the proper containers. Use wildlife-resistant food storage or trash containers where available or required and make sure they’re securely closed.

6. See something, say something. Tell a ranger if you come into physical contact with wildlife. Also, tell a ranger if you see wildlife that are sick, dead, or acting strangely, including wildlife that approach you. And when you see people who aren’t following these guidelines, let them know what they can do to be a smart wildlife watcher, too, and contact a ranger if necessary.

7. Be responsible. Ultimately, staying safe and keeping wildlife wild is up to you! When you go out into a national park, it’s your responsibility to keep yourself, your family, and the wildlife safe.

Every amateur shutterbug longs for his or her wildlife photos to look just like the masterpieces in National Geographic. Capturing great images in the wild takes preparation, patience and practice. Here are some tips to help keep you safe while photographing in the great outdoors:

Use common sense

No picture is worth endangering the animals, other subjects, or the photographer. People are killed every year when they get too close to large animals, such as bear, moose or bison. Smaller animals become stressed when we get too close.

Watch your step

Be careful not to step on critters who may be lurking nearby (e.g., snakes catching some sun in the open path), or into a hole or mud puddle.

Know your subject

If you have a specific animal you wish to photograph, study its habits, such as if they are nocturnal, what behaviors they exhibit or whether they stay on the ground, underground or in trees. For example, sandhill cranes often adopt a “pre-flight” posture, leaning forward and being very still before running and taking off. If you want takeoff shots, watch for that pose and be ready.

Know that certain owls will defend their nest area very aggressively, even against much larger humans. If you get too close, they will make sudden silent swoops at your head or face with stiletto talons. Before you try to photograph owls around a nest, know enough about their behavior to wear a hard hat and safety glasses and maintain an adequate distance.

You increase your photo opportunities when you synchronize your shooting to the timetable of your subject. For example, the best time of day to shoot butterflies is often early- to mid-morning when they emerge from their night roosts and warm themselves in the sun. They’ll often sit very still, perfectly displayed, until they’re warm enough to fly. Shooting during this window spares you the hazard of running all over the landscape, camera in hand, to catch up with constantly moving subjects.

Plan your photo shoot

Consider scouting locations before your shoot. Look for the best angles, where the sun will be, what the background will be like, etc. Sandhill cranes need to roost in shallow lakes. If you see cranes in a shallow lake, most likely they will return at dusk to roost for the night. You can come back in the late afternoon, set up and photograph them as they land for the night.

The first few hours after sunrise often provides more dramatic and appealing light, and often, animals are more active during the earlier hours than in the afternoon heat.

Be patient and observant

Oftentimes, animals will come into view if you just stay still in one location. The best wildlife photos are not likely to come by sneaking up on an animal to get as close as possible. Almost always, they’re aware of your approach.

The most effective way to get good shots is to recognize how the animal is behaving and where it is going. Get well out in front, be very still and let the animal come toward you. People who can keep still sometimes find that butterflies will land on their shoulder or birds will perch on their head. This approach is inherently safer because the animal remains in charge. It sets its own comfort zone and is not infringed upon or threatened by you.

Know the capabilities of your equipment

Trying to get a photo that is beyond the capability of your equipment often leads to taking excessive risks. Most of those spectacular photographs that you see in National Geographic or in wildlife calendars were taken under rather unusual, well-controlled circumstances. They were shot from blinds built and maintained by professional guides. Or they were taken from secure vehicles on game preserves. And they were taken with exceptional equipment—the kinds of cameras and lens used by sports photographers who sit next to a baseball dugout and capture great shots of the game-saving catch against the center-field wall. They were not taken by lucky amateurs on day hikes with point-and-shoots or cell-phone cameras.

Remember: You are responsible for your own safety and for the safety of those around you.

The most common diseases associated with wildlife that can cause human illness are:

• Aeromoniasis (Aeromonas spp.)

• Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis spp.)

• Baylisascaris procyonis (Raccoon roundworm spp.)

• Botulism (Clostridium botulinum spp.)

• Brucellosis (Brucella spp.)

• Cryptococcosis (Cryptococcus neoformans spp.)

• Dermatophilosis (Lumpy wool, Strawberry footrot)

• Echinococcosis (Hydatid cyst disease spp.)

• Edwardsiellosis (Edwardsiella tarda spp.)

• Erysipeloid (Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae spp.)

• Giardiasis (Giardia spp.)

• Hantavirus

• Histoplasmosis (Histoplasma capsulatum)

• Leptospirosis (Leptospira spp.)

• Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)

• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)

• Mycobacteriosis (Mycobacterium marinum)

• Plague (Yersinia pestis)

• Rabies

• Rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis)

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF, Rickettsia rickettsii)

• Salmonellosis (Salmonella spp.)

• Trichinellosis or Trichinosis (Trichinella spiralis)

• Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex)

• Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)

• Vesicular stomatitis

• Vibriosis (Vibrio spp.)

• West Nile Virus (WNV)

Aeromonas is a type of bacteria that is commonly found in fresh and brackish water. This germ can cause disease in stressed fish and amphibians. Aeromonas spp. can cause discoloration of the limbs of amphibians and the fins of fish and can cause internal bleeding in these aquatic animals.

Though it very rarely happens, people can become infected when they handle infected fish or accidentally swallow contaminated food or water. If these germs are swallowed, Aeromonas infections can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Skin infections can happen if the bacteria get into open wounds or scrapes. More severe disease can happen in children or people with weakened immune systems.

Practicing healthy habits, including hand washing, will reduce the risk of Aeromonas infection.

Anthrax is a naturally occurring disease of animals caused by a type of bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. People and animals can get anthrax when they accidentally breathe in or swallow spores in contaminated soil, food, or water. The greatest risk is from contact with bodily fluids of an animal that has anthrax or has recently died from anthrax. Anthrax can also get into open wounds. People who live in areas where anthrax has occurred should consider vaccinating their livestock against the disease.

Anthrax is a serious but rare disease in the United States. The symptoms of anthrax depend on the route of infection and can take anywhere from 1 day to more than 2 months to appear. All types of anthrax have the potential, if untreated, to spread throughout the body and cause severe illness and even death. To prevent anthrax, be aware of areas where anthrax is present and wear gloves when handling animal carcasses from those regions. Use care when processing bloated or swollen carcasses so that accumulated gasses blow away from you when the carcass is opened.

Baylisascaris infection is caused by roundworm eggs found in raccoon, bear, and skunk droppings. The disease is passed to people and animals if they accidentally ingest contaminated food or soil.

If a person or dog ingests the eggs, the worm larvae then hatch inside them and can migrate through the body. Human infections are rare but can be severe if the parasites invade the eye (ocular larva migrans), organs (visceral larva migrans), or brain (neural larva migrans).

Raccoon roundworm can be prevented by avoiding areas frequented by raccoons. If you need to clean raccoon droppings up, wear gloves and use caution so as not to kick up dust. Always wash your hands after working or playing in dirt.

C. botulinum produces a toxin that causes botulism, a rare but serious condition in humans. Clostridium botulinum is a type of bacteria that can be found in the intestines of many marine and freshwater species of fish worldwide. Though rare, outbreaks of botulism can be associated with fish, including aquatic game, canned foods, and smoked fish. Affected fish show few signs of illness, though some fish may have pale gill colorings or abdominal swelling.

A person with botulism can develop double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, and paralysis, which can result in death. People are commonly exposed through the environment or contaminated food, such as smoked fish products. To protect yourself from botulism, avoid fishing in areas where there are dead fish or waterfowl and cook all fish thoroughly. Anyone who thinks they may have botulism should seek emergency medical care.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that affects the ability of animals to reproduce. The disease can be spread to humans through contact with the birthing tissues from infected animals or through drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk. Among wildlife; bison; elk; caribou; moose; feral pigs; and some marine mammals can be infected with Brucella. Infected animals may have decreased appetite, weight loss, behavioral changes, and lack of energy, but most animals infected with brucellosis show no signs of illness. Brucellosis affects the reproductive organs and can cause miscarriage in animals and occasionally people.

People who hunt or eat fresh game meat are at highest risk for contracting brucellosis. They may be exposed through skin wounds while dressing a carcass or by eating undercooked meat. People who are infected with brucellosis will usually become sick within 6-8 weeks of exposure. Sick people will have flu-like symptoms that last 2-4 weeks. Sometimes brucellosis can become a chronic illness that can be difficult to treat.

Prevent brucellosis by wearing gloves while handling fresh carcasses and thoroughly cooking any meat that will be eaten.

Cryptococcosis is an infection that is caused by a fungus named Cryptococcus neoformans. This fungus can be found in soil and bird droppings, especially droppings from pigeons. When dried bird droppings are disturbed, dust containing the fungus can be released into the air and be inhaled by people, cats, and dogs.

Most people do not become sick with cryptococcosis, but people with weakened immune systems may be at risk. Signs of disease include headaches, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and night sweats.

Prevent cryptococcosis by avoiding enclosed areas where pigeons or other wild birds roost.

Dermatophilosis is a disease caused by a type of bacteria that can infect the skin and hair of both people and animals. The disease is spread from animals to people through touching an infected animal. Deer are the most common wildlife infected. Affected animals may have a “paintbrush” appearance of matted hair. The matted spots will often have scabs or crusts with pus. Other infected animals may show no symptoms at all.

This disease is most common among people who raise deer or who have contact with fawns. People who handle an infected animal may get pus-filled blisters on their hands and arms. These sores are usually not painful but can develop into shallow, red ulcers that scar.

Wear gloves and protective clothing when working with any animals, especially those with the classic “paintbrush” matted hair appearance, to reduce the risk of getting this disease.

Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or through contact with an infected animal. This parasite is a tapeworm that can form large fluid-filled cysts in the tissues of animals or people who accidentally eat the eggs. The adult tapeworm can be found in foxes, coyotes, cats, and other wild predators. Animals become infected by eating the tissue of an infected animal. Infected animals rarely show any signs of disease but can have a large number of adult tapeworms.

Although the Echinococcus parasite invades many different organs of the body, most people who are infected with the disease will not have any signs of illness for years. Symptoms start when the slow-growing cysts become large enough to press on the organs they have invaded. The tapeworms grow slowly in several different organs of the body but are most commonly found in the liver and lungs.

Prevent echinococcosis by avoiding stool of wild canids, thoroughly cooking game meat, and practicing healthy habits, including hand washing.

Edwardsiella tarda is a type of bacteria associated with fresh and saltwater animals, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. E. tarda is known to cause serious illness in fish. Affected fish may show abnormal swimming behavior, discoloration of the fins or skin, bulging or increased opacity of the eyes, and other complications.

People can become infected by accidentally swallowing contaminated water or through handling infected fish. Affected people commonly get nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. People with weak immune systems may also be at risk for more serious disease.

Wash your hands before and after handling fish to reduce the risk of edwardsiellosis.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a type of bacteria that causes erysipeloid, a skin condition that people can develop after contact with infected fish, poultry, or pork. Healthy fish often carry the bacteria on their scales with no signs of illness.

People, especially fish handlers, can become infected through open wounds on their hands. Affected people will usually develop a warm, raised, red, and intensely itchy area of skin at the site of the contaminated wound. If the infection spreads from the skin to deeper tissues, arthritis or more serious signs of illness (fever, weakness, muscle aches, headaches, etc.) may develop.

People who handle fish regularly should wear gloves and wash their hands often to reduce the risk of this disease.

Giardia is a parasite that causes diarrheal illness in animals and people. Giardia is transmitted to animals and people through food or water contaminated with stool. Though different types of Giardia affect humans and animals, both the human and animal types are carried by wildlife, including beavers, muskrats, deer, coyotes, and rodents. Pets may become infected after drinking from puddles or ponds or swallowing infected stool from other animals. Affected animals may have diarrhea, greasy stools, and dehydration.

In people, the symptoms of giardiasis may include diarrhea; gas; greasy stools; abdominal pain; nausea; and vomiting. Symptoms can last 1–2 weeks.

To avoid Giardia infection, hikers and backpackers should always treat water before offering it to their pets or drinking it themselves. People should also wash their hands often and use caution when swimming or wading in potentially contaminated ponds or lakes to avoid swallowing the water.

Hantavirus is a virus that can cause severe respiratory disease. It is spread through accidentally breathing in virus particles in dust from dry rodent urine or through contact with rodents or their droppings or nests.

Early signs in people include fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and chills.

Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that is spread to people by breathing in dust from pigeon or bat droppings. Fungal spores are found in the environment, especially in areas with bird and bat droppings. Birds do not get sick from exposure to histoplasmosis.

Very few people become infected with histoplasmosis. People who do become sick tend to develop pneumonia-like symptoms (fever, chest pains, and a dry or nonproductive cough) within 1–3 weeks after exposure. Infants, older people, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the fungus and might develop more serious illness.

People with weak immune systems should avoid activities such as disturbing material where there are bird or bat droppings, cleaning chicken coops, exploring caves, and cleaning, remodeling, or tearing down old buildings.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease of humans and animals that is transmitted through contaminated water and urine or other body fluids from an infected animal. The Leptospira spp. bacteria can infect raccoons; skunks; squirrels; opossums; deer; rodents, and other wild animals without any signs of disease. Though it is difficult to detect early stages of leptospirosis in animals, the disease can lead to kidney and liver failure if left untreated.

People who become infected with leptospirosis might not have any symptoms of the disease. Others will have nonspecific flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, chills, vomiting, rash) within 2–7 days after exposure. These symptoms usually resolve without medical treatment but can reappear and lead to more severe disease (yellow skin and eyes, rash, kidney or liver failure, meningitis).

Some ways to prevent leptospirosis from wildlife are to avoid contact with environments potentially contaminated with animal urine and to avoid swallowing water from lakes, rivers, or swamps while swimming.

Lyme disease is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals bitten by the Ixodes species of ticks. Rodents and other wildlife are reservoirs of the disease. Most infections occur from the nymphal-stage ticks, which are tiny and difficult to remove.

Infected people will typically have a red “bull’s eye” rash (erythema migrans) at the site of the tick bite that appears about 7 days after being bitten. Flu-like symptoms quickly follow the rash. If not treated, this disease can spread to other parts of the body and cause symptoms such as arthritis and loss of facial muscle tone (Bell’s palsy).

Lyme disease can be prevented by avoiding exposure to ticks, using a tick repellent, and by finding and removing ticks from your pets and your family as soon as possible after returning from a tick-infested area.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) can be transmitted through the urine, droppings, saliva, or cage material of infected wild and domestic rodents, wild hogs, skunks, raccoons, and squirrels. Infected animals may appear normal or show more significant signs, including weight loss, hunched posture, and ultimately death.

Human infections with LCMV are rare. Symptoms are similar to those of the common flu (fever, stiff neck, loss of appetite, muscle aches, headache, nausea, and vomiting) and often occur 1–2 weeks after exposure.

Prevent LCMV infection by avoiding contact with wild rodents and their droppings.

Mycobacteriummarinum is a type of bacteria that causes disease in fish, reptiles, and amphibians. It is spread to people and animals through contaminated aquarium water. All fish are susceptible to mycobacterium, but fresh water species seem to be most affected. This disease is slow growing in fish. Affected fish may stop eating, lose their fins or scales, develop sores, or appear deformed.

Though infection in humans is rare, people can become sick with mycobacteriosis after coming into contact with contaminated water through minor cuts and skin abrasions. People with this disease, commonly known as “fish tank granulomas,” develop warm raised, red areas of the skin. Skin lesions can leave long-lasting scars.

Reduce the risk for mycobacterium by washing your hands after handling reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Plague is a rare bacterial disease that affects animals and humans and is spread by infected fleas. Rodents like mice, rats, prairie dogs, and squirrels can carry plague. Plague is found primarily in the western United States. People and animals can be infected when they are bitten by infected fleas or when they handle blood or tissues of infected animals. Wild and domestic carnivores (especially cats) can also become infected by eating infected rodents. Cats usually have fever, weight loss, and loss of energy with enlarged glands. Wild rodents may or may not have any signs of disease.

People most often become infected with plague through flea bites or from contact with body fluids of infected animals. Hunters may be at increased risk. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague that affects people. Symptoms include a sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, malaise, and swollen glands (lymph nodes). The other two forms of plague, septicemic and pneumonic, cause more severe disease.

Plague can be prevented by keeping fleas away from your pets and family and by wearing gloves while handling or skinning potentially infected animals.

Rabies, a fatal neurologic disease in animals and humans, is caused by a virus. The rabies virus can infect most mammals, including bats; bears; beavers; deer; wild canids such as fox and coyotes; and felids such as mountain lions and bobcats; raccoons; skunks; opossums; and other small mammals. Animals and people are most commonly infected through bites from rabid animals. Infected animals may have a variety of signs but most often have sudden behavioral changes and progressive paralysis. Rabies can be prevented in some animals by vaccination.

The first symptoms in humans can start days to months after exposure and include generalized weakness, fever, and headache. Within a few days symptoms will progress to confusion, anxiety, behavioral changes, and delirium.

If you have been bitten by a wild animal that wasn’t acting normal, contact your health care provider right away for treatment. Once symptoms appear, it is almost always too late for treatment.

Rat bite fever is a rare bacterial disease transmitted by bites or scratches from infected rodents. It can also be spread by exposure to contaminated water, food, or rodent urine. The disease is typically seen in rats. Infected rats can carry the infection but appear healthy. However, other animals infected with rat-bite fever may develop arthritis, skin infections, pneumonia, and swollen lymph nodes.

In people infected with rat-bite fever, signs range from flu-like symptoms and a rash to more severe infections of the joints, liver, heart, lungs, brain, and blood, if left untreated.

Prevent Rat bite fever from wild rodents by avoiding contact with wild rodents and their urine.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease transmitted to dogs and humans by ticks. Dogs show a variety of symptoms similar to those in humans, including fever, lameness, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea, and swelling of the face or extremities.

People who are infected with RMSF generally start getting sick 2–14 days after exposure. Symptoms may include fever, rash, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and muscle pain. RMSF can develop into a serious illness if not promptly treated.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever disease can be prevented by avoiding exposure to ticks, using a tick repellent, and by finding and removing ticks from your pets and your family as soon as possible after returning from a tick-infested area.

Salmonella spreads to people through contaminated food (eggs and meat) or contact with stool of certain animals, including wildlife. In the wild, people usually become sick with Salmonella through direct contact with an infected animal’s stool or by accidentally drinking contaminated water. While it usually does not make the animals sick, Salmonella can cause serious illness when it is passed to people.

People exposed to Salmonella might have diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or abdominal cramps. Infants, elderly persons, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.

Prevent salmonellosis by avoiding stool of wild animals, thoroughly cooking game meat, and practicing healthy habits, including hand washing.

Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease caused by eating the raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with Trichinella. Trichinella infections are common in wild, meat-eating animals such as bears and cougars as well as some other meat and plant-eating animals like wild hogs. People usually become infected by consuming raw or undercooked meat that is infected, especially from bear and wild hogs. Most animals infected with Trichinella do not show any signs of illness.

People infected with Trichinella can have a variety of symptoms depending on the amount of parasite ingested and how strong their immune system is. The first symptoms of trichinellosis include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Infected people may then develop facial swelling and flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, chills, and muscle pain. In very severe infections, people can lose control of their movements and have heart and breathing problems. Trichinella can cause death if severe infections are left untreated.

Prevent trichinellosis from wildlife by thoroughly cooking game meat.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex is a group of bacteria that causes a disease called tuberculosis. Bison, buffalo, opossums, badgers, and deer can all become infected.

People can get tuberculosis if they ingest undercooked meat, accidentally inhale the bacteria, or are infected through skin cuts or scrapes. Depending on the route of infection, people may have sores; swollen lymph nodes; difficulty breathing; weight loss; night sweats; fever; or intestinal upset.

Avoid tuberculosis from wildlife by thoroughly cooking meat and by washing your hands after handling wildlife.

Tularemia is a bacterial disease that can spread to people through bites from ticks or deer flies, handling or consuming infected animals, accidentally swallowing contaminated water, or inhaling contaminated dust. Though typically a wildlife disease, tularemia has been reported in all U.S. states except Hawaii. Affected animals may have sudden onset of fever, weakness, decreased appetite, and reduced mobility. Within a few hours or days, the animal can become stiff and die.

People exposed to tularemia can have a variety of symptoms ranging from fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches to skin ulcers; swollen and painful lymph nodes; inflamed eyes; sore throat; mouth sores and diarrhea. They may also develop pneumonia.

People exposed to an infected animal should be seen by their doctor immediately because treatment works best when started early.

You can reduce your risk of tularemia by handling dead animals with gloves, cooking game meat thoroughly, wearing insect repellent, and when possible, avoiding mowing over dead animals during outside work.

Vesicular stomatitis is a disease caused by a virus. Vesicular stomatitis is primarily a disease of livestock, but people and several species of wildlife can become infected. Infected animals may have fluid-filled blisters, called vesicles, around the mouth, on their feet, or under the belly.

It is very rare for people to get vesicular stomatitis. Infections can occur when people handle sick animals or contaminated tissues and blood from sick animals. Infected people may have a variety of symptoms ranging from no signs of illness to flu-like symptoms and blisters.

Reduce the risk for Vesicular stomatitis by washing your hands after handling affected wildlife.

Vibrio are bacteria that are mostly found in saltwater and cause serious disease in marine fish. People usually get sick with vibriosis after eating raw or undercooked fish or shellfish or after swallowing contaminated water. Fish affected by Vibrio can have symptoms ranging from deep skin ulcers to more wide-spread signs of skin darkening, scale loss, swelling of the abdomen, and loss of appetite.

In people, Vibrio can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some types of Vibrio can also cause skin infections from contact with contaminated water.

People can prevent vibriosis infections by eating cooked fish and shellfish and by avoiding exposure of open wounds or broken skin to warm salt or brackish water, and avoiding raw shellfish harvested from such waters.

West Nile Virus is carried by birds and transmitted by mosquitoes. People, birds, and horses get WNV by being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most animals infected with WNV will show no signs of illness. Some birds will die of the disease.

Most people who become infected with WNV do not have any signs of illness; however, people who do become ill usually have flu-like symptoms. A small percentage of people with WNV infection develop a more serious neurologic illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain and surrounding tissues).

Prevent West Nile Virus by using mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and limiting outdoor exposure from dusk to dawn. Using air conditioning, installing window and door screens, and reducing mosquito breeding sites, can further decrease the risk for WNV exposure.

Histoplasmosis is caused by a fungus that lives in soil, particularly where there’s a large amount of bird or bat poop. People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in fungal spores, and infection can be mild or life-threatening. It can be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, like pneumonia caused by bacteria. This often results in delayed treatment. Here are some important things to know about histoplasmosis and Histoplasma, the fungus that causes this illness.

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection that can affect anyone. It usually affects the lungs and causes pneumonia but also can affect other parts of the body. Learning about histoplasmosis can help you stay healthy and recognize symptoms early if you do get the infection.

Common Symptoms Can Lead to Delayed Diagnosis

Symptoms of histoplasmosis include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• Chills
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Body aches

These symptoms usually appear 3 to 17 days after breathing in the fungus. Because other bacterial or viral diseases have similar symptoms, patients can experience delays in getting correctly diagnosed and treated.

Anyone can get infected, but most people who breathe in the fungus that causes histoplasmosis have no symptoms or only mild ones. Some people never know they’ve had histoplasmosis until a CT scan, X-ray, or other imaging test shows spots on their lungs. These spots can look identical to lung cancer, leading to unnecessary costs and emotional stress associated with finding the right diagnosis.

It is important to know that some people can develop severe histoplasmosis and get very sick. This includes:

• People who have existing health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness (people with weakened immune systems), and
• People who are exposed to a large amount of the fungus.

A severe infection must be treated with prescription antifungal medicine.

If you have symptoms and suspect that you might have histoplasmosis, ask your doctor to test you for it.

How It Spreads: From Soil to Lungs

In the United States, the fungus that causes histoplasmosis mainly lives in soil in central and eastern states, especially in areas around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. It’s also present in other U.S. states, likely in small pockets that offer the right growing conditions (such as a large amount of bird or bat poop). The fungus also lives in parts of Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in the fungus from the air in these areas. Histoplasmosis does not spread from person to person.

Be Safe Around Bird or Bat Poop

It can be difficult to avoid breathing in the fungus that causes histoplasmosis in areas where it’s common in the environment. In those areas, people who have weakened immune systems should consider avoiding activities associated with getting histoplasmosis, such as:

• Disturbing material where there is a large amount of bird or bat poop (for example, digging in soil or chopping wood)
• Cleaning, remodeling, or tearing down old buildings
• Exploring caves
• Cleaning chicken coops

Large amounts of bird or bat poop should be cleaned up by a professional company that specializes in handling hazardous waste. A small amount of bird or bat poop on a hard surface is much less likely to spread histoplasmosis than a larger amount around soil or plants.

Before starting a job or activity where there’s a possibility of being exposed to the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, review Histoplasmosis: Protecting Workers at Risk.

It’s important to know that people can also get histoplasmosis without being exposed to bird or bat poop.

Awareness Is Key

In areas where the fungus that causes histoplasmosis is common, it’s difficult to completely avoid exposure. That’s why knowing about histoplasmosis is one of the most important ways to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Greater awareness about histoplasmosis is needed in the United States and around the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean, histoplasmosis is one of the most common infections among people living with HIV. There, about 1 in 3 people with HIV who get histoplasmosis die from this condition. Learn more about CDC’s work to prevent deaths due to histoplasmosis by improving diagnosis and increasing access to lifesaving antifungal medications.

An array of wildlife suitable for hunting may be found on national forests and grasslands. Hunting is a seasonal activity, and the rules are simple: Follow the state laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, including seasons, dates and licensing. Forests and grasslands may place some areas as off limits to hunting. So check in with your local Forest Service ranger to be sure you are following all the rules.

When on Forest Service land remember that:

• All firearms and bows with arrows should be cased and unloaded while in a recreation area or other public areas.
• Discharging a firearm (including a bow and arrow) is prohibited in or within 150 yards of a developed recreation site, a residence, or any place where people are likely to be.
• Shooting across bodies of water or a Forest Service road is prohibited.
• Shooting into or within any cave, mine or open shaft is prohibited.
• Private land is interspersed with public land and you must obtain written permission from the private landowner to hunt on their property. Obtain a map and use caution to ensure you don't inadvertently stray off public land onto private.
• Only portable stands or blinds are allowed. Check with your local ranger district for restrictions and time limits.

Stay safe when hunting by following these tips:

• Check weather reports before embarking on a hunting trip.
• Tell someone where you will be hunting and when you will return.
• Be familiar with the area you want to hunt. Bring a map and compass.
• Carry a basic survival kit and be prepared for an unexpected overnight stay in the field. The survival kit should contain a rope, a knife, water, waterproof matches, an emergency shelter, and first aid supplies.
• Dress properly and be prepared for the worst possible conditions.
• Wear hunter orange as your outermost gear so that you are visible to other hunters. Do not wear white or tan during deer season.
• Always treat your weapon as if it is loaded, even if it isn't, and know where your hunter partners are located at all times.
• If accompanied by a dog, the dog should also wear hunter orange or a very visible color on a vest, leash, coat or bandana. Check the state regulations to determine if a dog is allowed on a hunt.
• Check hunting equipment before and after each outing, and maintain it properly. Familiarize yourself with its operation before using it in the field.
• Carry a spare set of dry clothing. Utilize layering techniques to pull away moisture while retaining body warmth. Always bring rain gear.
• Clearly identify your target before shooting. Prevent unfortunate accidents or fatalities.
• Be alert when hunting near developed areas and trails. Other recreationists are enjoying the forest as well.
• Your cell phone may save your life, but do count on it. Many areas of most forests are not within signal range.

Remember: You are responsible for the safety of yourself and for those around you.

Wildlife should always be enjoyed from a distance. If you are close enough that the animal changes its behavior (for example, stops eating or runs away), you are too close! Wild animals can carry diseases but not appear to be sick at all, so staying away is the safest way to enjoy viewing wildlife. Follow these simple tips to help protect your family and pets from getting diseases from wildlife.

Protect your home

• Keep windows and doors closed or screened and cover any holes or openings to prevent bats, rodents, or other wild animals from entering your home, church, school, or other buildings.
• Clean up trash around your home and keep your garbage cans closed. Garbage and trash can attract unwanted visits from wildlife.
• Do not leave food (bait) outside to attract animals to your backyard. This brings the animals closer together and close to you, and this makes it easier for disease to spread.
• Keep compost and wood piles at least 100 feet away from buildings to help reduce rodent infestations in the building.
• Make sure pets do not have access to stagnant water sources (ponds, bird baths, etc.) that are also used by wildlife.
• Find rodent- and bat-proofing information under the More Information tab.

Don’t handle wildlife

• Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly or harmless.
• Do not touch or pick up dead animals with your bare hands. Consider calling animal control to remove any dead animals.
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to save or rescue wild animals.
• If an animal appears sick or hurt, call animal control to help. Do not touch young animals that appear to be abandoned. Often their parents are close by waiting for you to leave before they return to their young.
• Protect wildlife in your national parks and local recreational areas by staying on trails and following visitor guidelines, including those for trash disposal.

Protect yourself from disease

• Make washing your hands a routine practice before eating or drinking and whenever you return from outside.
• Take care of bites and scratches:
  • Wash wounds well with soap and running water.
  • Contact your health care provider right away.
  • If you seek medical attention, make sure to tell them if you have had exposure to wildlife.
• Keep bugs away:
  • Use a mosquito and tick repellent when spending time outdoors.
  • Use a monthly flea and tick preventive on your pets.
• Ask your veterinarian how to protect your pets from wildlife diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, and giardia.
• Call animal control right away if an animal, wild or domestic, is acting strangely or out of character.