Squirrel Pox

[rusty's mom]

Got my first baby (only 4weeks old) in 3 years with sever pox. I have 12 healthy ones and more coming tomorrow morning. But this one looks bad. Just thought I'd warn everyone pox are around.

[California Squirrel Lover]

oh no, I'm so sorry! :( :grouphug:grouphug:grouphug (I'll send you some prayers...)

[Scooterzmom]

:thankyou for the warning. What area more precisely? we are in the notheast - Canada, Montreal… wondering if maybe it's around here too.

[rusty's mom]

Pa very close to Valley Forge. This is so sad.

[rusty's mom]

I just can't understand with the extremely cold and snow winter we had how this virus lived.

[Scooterzmom]

Actually with this very cold winter they tended to stay in their nests more than usual, and in groups inside the nests. If one was incubating when they got together the virus could spread very easily. I had one 3 years ago who came down with pox in December, just as winter was settling in. I couldn't understand either. :thinking

[stepnstone]

Damn! Sorry to hear it's reared it's ugly head,
and so soon too. :(

[island rehabber]

oh NO...we usually escape the dreaded pox here in the northeast, although there is one park in NYC that always has pox amongst the squirrel population. :( Thank you for the advanced warning; I will make sure I know where my acyclovir is.

[DanielB]

Hi. This is my first post here!

I'm just north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and last week noticed one of our backyard regular grey squirrels (brown coat) had a swollen cheek and white crud around its eye on the same side. I hadn't seen him for a few days but when I did again yesterday was shocked to see that the affected cheek is now massively disfigured and the cheek and crown of his head are all mangy, and the eye crud even more prevalent.

I've seen manginess before but never the eye crud or lesions.

My initial search led to pox (SSPV), and then to this board and this thread!

Our other squirrel regulars are at present seemingly unaffected.

I know UK red squirrels are affected by SSPV (they die while the UK greys who infect them are carriers with a general immunity), but apparently UK squirrel pox is a different virus to North American squirrel pox virus. [Wikipedia: "UK squirrelpox virus is an entirely different virus to that which causes skin fibromas (tumours) in American grey squirrels." (source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_pox))]. Anyone know if North American red squirrels are similarly affected?

And what about chipmunks?

[farrelli]

He may have an infection and need treatment? And even if it's pox, you could still help him out. Can you provide a pic or three for us to look at? He may need help, and as it happens, we have a member in the GTA. You might want to start a new thread for this guy.

[rusty's mom]

He didn't make it. I just wanted to let people know the pox was in our area.

[squirrelmommy22]

Poor little guy, sure hope you don't see more of it.