Authorities alerted by "zombies" of raccoons in Riverside, Chicago

The Riverside Police Service, in the city of Chicago, alerted the public to the presence of raccoons "zombie" in the streets.

Mammals in this region of Illinois contracted Sickle disease, known in English as "distemper".

This deadly condition leads to walk on his hind legs, wobble, Frequently lose balance and show their teeth, symptoms by which they are called "zombie raccoons".

"We had several cases of raccoons with distemper in our jurisdiction, "Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel told the local newspaper. Chicago Tribune.

"If you see a sick raccoon, it's probably a threat to public health, you should call the police, "he added.

Although the disease is not transmitted to humans, It's deadly for pets. Therefore, the authorities warn owners of dogs and cats not to leave their animals in the back yard, even when they are fenced, as they may be infected.

"The most susceptible animals to viruses are those who suffer from immune system disorders by old age or other diseaseswrote the police department on his website.

The disease of distemper is one of the most serious that dogs can contract, but also the easiest to treat. According to information from the American Kennel Club, veterinarians they inject the vaccine to prevent disease when the dog is still a puppy, with that of rabies, or parvovirus, among others.

Among the symptoms are the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous system problems. In addition, animals may experience ocular and nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors.

When the dog's health condition gets complicated, it can also occur pneumonias and seizures.

According to the authorities, they have received in recent days three calls from neighbors that they found zombie raccoons in the street.

"It seems that every year, at about the same time, we receive many calls Raccoons act strangely, and calls on raccoons that can be a danger to the public. Our policy allows us remove animals who suffer or who pose a threat to public security, "explained Weitzel.

Since the Police Department, pet owners have been invited to vaccinate your animals against Carré's disease, to prevent infection.

In early February 2019, the alarm spread to the United States: some deer have become aggressive, they lost weight suddenly, were unable to maintain coordination, and had paralyzing physical deterioration. Worse, the look of mammals seemed completely lost.

In correct terms, it was a question of the disease of chronic cachexia, which attacks the spinal cord, brain and other tissues and in most cases causes death.

According to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "zombie" deer in 24 states since January 2019.