What should I do if I get bit by a possum?

What should I do if I get bit by a possum?

If a possum bites you, immediately tend to the wound, do not leave it. Wash the wound carefully with warm water and soap. Avoid using any soap that is fragrant or contains alcoholic ingredients. After the wound has dried, apply an antiseptic to the affected area.

What happens if a possum bites me?

While opossums are not normally the carriers of rabies, it is possible that you could become ill due to a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are utilized to treat this infection. If you are at all concerned about the bite you have sustained, you should contact your doctor.

Can you get sick from a possum scratch?

People exposed to the bacteria through bites and scratches to their skin will also develop an ulcer at the wound. “If you have become unwell with these symptoms after recently touching a possum, especially if you were bitten or scratched, it is important to seek medical treatment early,” Ms Glasgow said.

What diseases can you get from a possum bite?

They get into fights with dogs and cats and can inflict serious injury with their mouthful of sharp pointed teeth. Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease.

Can possums give diseases to humans?

Possums, which have a lifespan of 15 years, can carry deadly diseases easily transmitted to humans, including Lyme disease, leptospirosis, rickettsia and mycobacteriosis, which can cause abscesses, fistulas, headaches, vomiting and renal failure.

How do you scare away possums?

Simple Scare Tactics

1. Tie helium balloons around your yard to sway in the wind and startle the possums away.
2. Place pinwheels, found in party supply stores, in the soil around your plants.
3. Set up an oscillating fan in your garden with an extension cord.
4. Play a portable radio in your yard.

Can you get diseases from possums?

Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.

Can possums make humans sick?

Do Opossums Carry Diseases? Though it’s unlikely for them to transmit rabies, opossums can sometimes carry harmful germs and pathogens that cause diseases such as leptospirosis. Transmitted through contaminated urine or other bodily fluids from an infected animal, this bacterial disease can impact humans and wildlife.

Should I worry about a possum?

If there is an opossum in the backyard, don’t worry. They aren’t a threat, and more than likely they will be moving on in a short while. But far from being a nuisance, opossums can be beneficial for your garden, eating snails, slugs, insects and sometimes even small rodents.

How strong is a possum bite?

Opossums have a bite strength of roughly 45 pounds per square inch. By comparison, the average human produces a bite force of approximately 160 pounds per square inch, but remember that little opossums only weigh an average 8-14 pounds!

What should you do if you get bit by a possum?

Clean the wound with disinfectant, and bandage it if needed. Possum bites are less dangerous than those of other animals. Opossums are believed to be immune to rabies, and they don’t tend to carry fleas or ticks that transmit diseases. Originally Answered: What do you do if you get bit by a possum? Make sure it doesn’t get infected.

Is it possible for a possum to be rabid?

It is extremely rare for possums to be rabid as their body temperature is too low for the survival or replication of the rabies virus. This is the most common fear that accompanies possum bites and it is largely due to the critter’s defensive posture of baring its teeth and drooling from its mouth.

Is it dangerous to have a dog with a possum?

If your dog or any other pet decides to interfere with the activity and freedom of a possum, and if the possum doesn’t choose to play dead, it could bite back. So, it is better to be safe, and view it as though a possum is dangerous to a dog or cat, or pet.

What kind of disease does a possum have?

Although the possum is generally a clean animal – well cleaner than many others, infections can occur, usually, a course of antibiotics is required to kill the infection. A disease called Tularemia can be caused by the introduction of bacteria to an open wound. Antibiotics would help fight this.