Biological Hazard in USA on July 23 2018 08:57 AM (UTC).

More than two dozen Central Park raccoons have died in an ongoing viral outbreak that causes "zombie" behavior in the critters, authorities determined.

Of 26 raccoons found dead inside the park since June 24, two tested positive for the canine distemper virus, which doesn't affect humans but can spread to unvaccinated dogs, officials with the city Health and Parks departments revealed on Saturday.

The other 24 are believed to be infected by distemper because their deaths were clustered in such a short time and area. The latest raccoon corpse was found at East 106th Street and East Drive on Saturday morning. Parks staff also have witnessed distemper symptoms in living raccoons. "They looked like they were circulating, wandering, having spasms," said Dr. Sally Slavinski, an assistant director at the Health Department. "Some of the raccoons had some sort of nasal discharge."

Raccoons with distemper act strange - appearing tame or confused before losing their coordination, becoming unconscious and sometimes dying. They can also get aggressive. None of the raccoons have tested positive for rabies so far. Once authorities ruled out that deadly virus, they sent samples from two dead raccoons to a state lab. The city found out Friday that they were dealing with distemper. While officials stressed humans can't contract the disease, dog owners in Central Park were alarmed Saturday when told of the outbreak.

"Now I'm freaked out. Holy moly!" said Upper East Sider Bob Cucurullo, 40, with his beagle terrier Charlie. "He sees a raccoon once a week, and he goes nuts after it. Now I'll have to be careful where I let him go."

Most dogs are vaccinated for distemper.

The city mandates all dogs and cats get the rabies vaccine, but distemper immunization is only required if pups are going to a boarding or grooming facility. Distemper spreads when animals make contact with infected saliva, urine, feces or respiratory discharge. Central Park skunks can get the virus. So can coyotes, foxes, ferrets and exotic large cats, like the snow leopards at the Central Park Zoo.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/database/index.php?pageid=event_summary&edis_id=BH-20180723-63995-USA

Biohazard level 2/4 - Medium

Biohazard description Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. "Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures", see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.

Disease, agent name Mass die-off (racoon)
Infected person(s) 0
Species 2
Status 1

Virus classification

Group: Group V ((−)ssRNA)
Order: Mononegavirales
Family: Paramyxoviridae
Genus: Morbillivirus
Species: Canine morbillivirus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_distemper

"Canine distemper is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus of the family Paramyxoviridae (the same family of the viruses that causes measles, mumps, and bronchiolitis in humans). The disease is highly contagious via inhalation"

Canine distemper virus cytoplasmic inclusion body (blood smear, Wright's stain) Lance Wheeler
"This was found on the blood smear of a 1-month-old, female, mixed breed puppy that presented with signs consistent with upper respiratory disease and conjunctivitis. "