Best practices for nuisance wildlife control operators in New York State

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Ch 4: A common sense approach to safety on the job

Overall learning objectives for this section:

1. Identify risks associated with the presence of nuisance wildlife and with wildlife control techniques.
    
2. Understand how to protect yourself from falls, bites, heat stress, and wildlife diseases.
    
3. Know which protective gear and safety equipment belongs in the NWCO "wardrobe."
    
4. Be familiar with the wildlife diseases that you're most likely to encounter.
    
5. Feel confident you can answer the common questions customers ask about wildlife diseases.
    
6. Know who to contact if you're dealing with a sick animal.

Chapter review questions

1. You've been hired to remove a raccoon from the rafters of a warehouse that's located in a city. Which safety issues should you consider when setting up the job? (Check all those that apply.)
   __ mange
   __ tetanus
   __ rabies
   __ bites
   __ toxoplasmosis
   __ raccoon roundworm
   __ falls
   __ distemper
   __ heat stress
   __ histoplasmosis
   __ hantavirus
   __ Lyme disease
   __ West Nile virus
    
2. And what safety equipment would you use to protect yourself in this situation? (Again, check all that apply.)
   __ respirator
   __ helmet
   __ gloves
   __ restraining device
   __ water bottle
   __ trap
   __ ladder brace
   __ ropes or bungee cords
   __ disposable clothing
    
3. There are no animals currently present, but which of these wildlife diseases might you still encounter while working in an attic?
   __ mange
   __ tetanus
   __ rabies
   __ toxoplasmosis
   __ raccoon roundworm
   __ distemper
   __ heat stress
   __ histoplasmosis
   __ hantavirus
   __ Lyme disease
   __ West Nile virus
    
4. While working on a roof trapping squirrels, you notice children taunting a dog on the street below. Even from this distance, you can see that the dog is skinny, its fur is patchy, and it's uncoordinated. The dog runs into a fire hydrant. You have a bad feeling about this situation. Who would you call?
   1. university professor
   2. veterinarian
   3. animal control officer
   4. health department
   5. police
   6. doctor
   7. another NWCO
   8. animal shelter
   9. wildlife rehabilitator
   10. TV station—this could be your fifteen minutes of fame!
        
5. A business owner hires you to remove pigeons that have been fouling cars in her parking lot. She's worried that her customers might be exposed to rabies. You tell her:
   1. The customers probably didn't get too close to the pigeons, so the chance of exposure is low. I wouldn't worry about it.
   2. Birds don't carry rabies.
   3. Pigeons are nocturnal, so the customers won't be nearby when the birds are active.
   4. I drive past this lot every day and hardly ever see a car. And by the way, can I have a deposit?
   5. To play it safe, call the health department. They'll probably want to interview all of your customers.
       
6. Airport staff are worried about risks posed by wildlife. They've written the following list. Briefly explain how one of these problems might happen.
   • Financial: potential damage to airplanes
   • Safety: plane crashes; failure of traffic control system
   • Health: sparrows flying inside buildings: disease? mice droppings in kitchen; worker safety?

Answers

1. Things to consider include tetanus, rabies, bites, raccoon roundworm, falls, heat stress, histoplasmosis, and hantavirus.
   Tetanus: because of the chance of hurting yourself on a nail
   Rabies: raccoons are commonly infected, so you should approach all raccoons with caution
   Bites: especially if you use something other than a trap to capture the animal
   Raccoon roundworm: if you clean up raccoon droppings, watch out for later hand-to-mouth contact
   Falls: if you need to use a ladder to get into the attic
   Heat stress: a concern in a confined space, especially during the summer
   Histoplasmosis and hantavirus: raccoons don't carry either of these diseases, but it's possible that an attic that's infested by raccoons is also home to mice, birds, or bats. Be cautious around any droppings, whether they're from rodents, birds, or bats.
    
2. There's a certain degree of personal choice in this answer, unless you're covered by OSHA regulations. All of the listed items might be useful for some situations. There's no universal approach, so you may wish to have a variety of safety devices in your truck, so you can choose the ones best suited for each job.
   To protect yourself from falls: ladder brace, ropes or bungee cords, helmet (but you might not need any of them if there's a staircase to the attic)
   To reduce the risk of exposure to wildlife diseases: gloves, respirator, disposable clothing, restraining device, trap
   To prevent heat stress: water bottle
    
3. histoplasmosis, hantavirus, raccoon roundworm
   Histoplasmosis: this is an airborne disease. The mold spores are microscopic and could be present in bird or bat droppings.
   Hantavirus: another airborne disease that could be encountered if you disturb mouse nesting materials or droppings, especially under dry conditions.
   Raccoon roundworm: the parasite's eggs, which are microscopic, are found in raccoon droppings.
   Rabies: Transmission usually occurs through bites, or when handling the animal.
   Mange: people usually pick up the mites by handling a mangy animal.
   Tetanus: not a wildlife disease.
   Toxoplasmosis: transmitted by the "dirty hand-to- mouth," "put dirty object in mouth," or "eat contaminated food" routes. This is the disease that most people catch through direct contact with cat litter, contaminated soil, or by eating raw or undercooked meat. You're not likely to encounter this parasite in an attic.
   Distemper: probably an airborne disease.
   Heat stress: not a wildlife disease.
   Lyme disease: not likely to find the deer tick in an attic.
   West Nile virus: not likely to be bitten by a mosquito in an attic.
    
4. c,d,e,g are correct.
   Sounds like you're dealing with a stray dog that could have mange (fur loss) and rabies (running into an object). The kids are provoking the dog, which could cause even a healthy animal to attack. It's important to quickly restrain and isolate the animal.
   Many of the people listed could provide information about these wildlife diseases, but some are better equipped to respond to the actual emergency than others. For assistance, try calling: the local animal control officer; police; health department; another NWCO.
    
5. b
   All of the other answers are false. People sometimes walk right up to pigeons. Pigeons are diurnal (active during the day). We know you wouldn't say that (even if you're thinking it). A deposit's not a bad idea. Some NWCOs require that of all their customers. The health department wouldn't waste its time talking to people about rabies transmission from birds because it doesn't happen.
    
6. Financial risk: bird strikes a plane and damages it.
   Safety risks:
   bird strike causes pilot to lose control of plane, resulting in accident.
   rodents chew wires, causing electrical failure, so traffic control system fails.
   Health risk:
   workers are exposed to birds, rodents, in planes or airport buildings. Severe infestations might expose workers to wildlife diseases.

Next Section (Zoonotic diseases in the Northeast)