Hedgehogs found in gardens should not be treated as harmless pets, according to veterinarian Yulia Nemtseva, who warned that the animals can carry the rabies virus.
Nemtseva, a candidate of medical sciences and a veterinarian, told RT that a hedgehog's sharp teeth or dirty quills can act like a syringe, driving saliva deep into a wound. Rabies virus is carried in that saliva, she said.
She said hedgehogs can also transmit several other serious infections beyond rabies.
Infections linked to hedgehogs
Nemtseva listed tetanus as a particular risk from deep, contaminated puncture wounds caused by the animal's quills. She said salmonellosis can spread through bacteria on the surface of the animal's body, with infection occurring through dirty hands.
She also named leptospirosis, known as Weil's disease, along with dermatophytosis, or ringworm, and other fungal skin infections as risks associated with the animals. Nemtseva added that ticks often sit on hedgehog quills, and contact with them can lead to encephalitis and borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease.
How to handle a hedgehog safely
Nemtseva advised against picking up a hedgehog with bare hands. If a person needs to move one, she recommended using thick gardening gloves or a piece of cloth instead.
If someone is bitten, she said the wound should be rinsed immediately under running water with soap for 10 to 15 minutes and then treated with an antiseptic, such as chlorhexidine.
Afterward, she said, a visit to an emergency trauma unit is essential. Even a hedgehog that appears healthy externally may carry the virus, since the disease's incubation period produces no visible symptoms. Nemtseva said any break in the skin, whether a bite, a scratch or a deep puncture from a quill, requires a doctor's consultation.
Earlier warning about bats
Ecologist Ilya Rybalchenko previously warned of an approaching increase in bat activity. He said that during the first month of autumn, bats may increasingly fly into apartments, balconies and stairwells.
Rybalchenko noted that bats can also carry rabies, and that anyone who has physical contact with one or is bitten should seek urgent medical attention.
