Over the past few weeks, many parts of the United States have faced a mass emergence of squirrels infected with a viral disease that has already been dubbed “zombie squirrels.” This information spread after a publication by the New York Post. Residents in various regions of the country increasingly reported encounters with rodents bearing large wart-like growths on their skin. Similar cases were recorded in Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, and other states. The exact etiology of the disease remained unclear, but specialists identified fibromatosis—a viral infection caused by the leporipoxvirus—as the most likely cause. This pathogen triggered the formation of bulky tumors and oozing warts on the animals’ bodies. The transmission mechanisms of the virus resembled those of herpes: infection occurred through direct contact, as well as via saliva and the contents of affected skin areas. The virus posed no threat to humans. In most cases, the disease resolved on its own within four to eight weeks, but in severe instances, the tumors could affect internal organs. According to experts, bird feeders, where squirrels often come into contact with each other, contributed to the active spread of the virus. Separately, cases of encounters with “zombie roe deer” were reported in the Kurgan region of Russia. The animals displayed disorientation, sometimes convulsing. They secreted saliva and foam from their mouths, and blood and pus from their eyes. The nature of this phenomenon was not clarified, but it drew the attention of local residents and zoologists.
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