Squirrelpox virus believed to be in Kitchener
A squirrel seen in the public and sent to Wildlife Haven Waterloo. (Supplied photo)
Wildlife Haven Waterloo is asking people to keep an eye out for squirrels with signs of squirrelpox.
The haven said they have seen an increase in calls about squirrels with symptoms matching those of squirrelpox.
One baby squirrel with the suspected virus has been isolated from other squirrels at Wildlife Haven Waterloo.
“She's doing great and she'll be released really close back to where she was found,” said Joy Huggins, a Wildlife Rehabilitator at Wildlife Haven Waterloo.
That squirrel came in with its sibling from Kitchener at the start of December. Based on their appearance, Huggins believes they had Squirrelpox. The sibling died but the other squirrel is on the mend and will stay with the Haven through the winter.
“It's hard for everybody in the winter, let alone a young one, because she is a baby,” Huggins said.
Experts say squirrelpox does not spread to other animals, but it is highly contagious to other squirrels. Huggins is asking people to contact the Haven if they come across a squirrel in the wild that has symptoms or signs of squirrelpox.
“They have a hard time and then the stress of it usually kills them. So if they can come in here and get reprieve and rest, they’ve got more chance of living,” Huggins said.
Squirrelpox typically causes hair loss around the face and limbs, and small masses will grow, often around the eyes, nose and distal limbs.
“It’s caused by a pox virus, and it often affects grey squirrels. It can affect red squirrels as well,” said Brian Stevens, a wildlife pathologist with the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative – Ontario and Nunavut Region.
Stevens said squirrels can resolve the infection and live a normal life afterwards, but sometimes the infection can interfere with normal feeding, or cause blindness if it is over the eyes.
“We have seen it affect the lungs and the kidneys and those ones often are fatal unfortunately,” Stevens said.
Stevens heard about squirrels with similar symptoms around September, but not recently. Huggins said she hasn’t seen it for five years, but a surprising amount of calls about it started coming in recently.
“It seemed like they were more severe like more pox. All over, starting with the eyes. It looked worse to me,” Huggins said.
All the volunteer-run rehabilitation facility can really do is provide food, water and a place to rest, while hoping each furry friend can return to a healthy life.
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