Recently, reports of grotesque squirrels covered in oozing sores have emerged from backyards across the United States and Canada. These distressing sightings have prompted social media users on platforms like X and Reddit to investigate the underlying cause of this alarming condition. The first reports can be traced back to early 2023, when residents in Maine began capturing images of common gray squirrels afflicted with tumors during their backyard visits.
Witnesses have documented these squirrels, describing them as having hairless growths that ooze pus, affecting various parts of their bodies, including heads, eyes, legs, feet, and genitals. While some social media users speculated that the animals might be suffering from squirrel pox, a rare virus primarily affecting red squirrels, others suggested that the symptoms are more indicative of squirrel fibromatosis.
Squirrel fibromatosis is a condition caused by a different virus and manifests as wart-like growths that can ooze fluid but typically heal on their own. This disease is more prevalent among gray squirrels in the United States. Wildlife experts have pointed out that homeowners who place bird feeders in their yards may be inadvertently facilitating the spread of this virus among squirrels throughout North America.
Shevenell Webb from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife explained the dynamics of disease spread: "It's like when you get a large concentration of people. If someone is sick, and it's something that spreads easily, others are going to catch it." Although squirrel fibromatosis may appear alarming, it is a common skin disease among gray squirrels in the US.
This condition is caused by the leporipoxvirus and is transmitted through direct contact with lesions or saliva from infected squirrels. This transmission method is somewhat similar to how herpes spreads among humans. The disease leads to hairless growths or tumors that can break open, leaking clear fluid akin to open wounds. While the virus poses no threat to humans or other animals, like dogs or birds, Webb advises against attempting to handle or capture infected squirrels. "It is naturally occurring and will run its course in time," she told the Bangor Daily News.
Although the growths can be unsettling, they generally heal without medical intervention and are rarely fatal. However, in some severe cases, squirrel fibromatosis may impact an animal's internal organs, potentially leading to death. Despite sightings of infected squirrels dating back to summer 2023, the most recent cases have been shared online as recently as July.
Wildlife officials have noted that reports of infected squirrels tend to rise during the summer months when animals are actively foraging for food, particularly from homes with bird feeders. "Unfortunately, you can attract multiple squirrels to that feeder and risk exposure if one has the virus," Webb explained. Squirrels with fibromatosis can contaminate uneaten bird seed with their saliva, allowing healthy squirrels to ingest the virus.
While wildlife experts have yet to confirm whether the recent sightings are cases of fibromatosis or squirrel pox (SQPV), it is noteworthy that the likelihood of squirrel pox spreading in the US is lower. SQPV primarily affects red squirrels, which are more susceptible to the virus and is more prevalent in the UK due to a higher population of red squirrels.
As discussions about the welfare of these infected squirrels continue, parallels have been drawn to a similar condition affecting rabbits in the Midwest, prompting questions about the humane treatment of animals with tumors. Wildlife officials urge the public to refrain from intervening with squirrels afflicted by fibromatosis. A squirrel's immune system can typically clear the virus within four to eight weeks, although recovery may take longer for larger or secondary infections.
In summary, while squirrel fibromatosis may appear frightening, it is generally a non-fatal condition that does not usually recur once a squirrel has contracted it. Gray squirrels typically recover fully, meaning that the unsettling growths will likely be gone by the next time a person encounters that same animal. Awareness and understanding of these conditions can help mitigate public concern while promoting the health of local wildlife.
