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Seoul issues wild raccoon dog alert as concerns grow of zoonotic disease spread

Published: 20 May. 2025, 11:15 Updated: 21 May. 2025, 14:16

A raccoon dog likely infested by the parasitic itch mite, which causes scabies, moves around on a trail in Yeonsu District, Incheon, on April 27. [YONHAP]

Seoul has issued a wild raccoon dog alert as sightings of the animals increase across the city, raising concerns about the spread of zoonotic diseases.

In response, city health officials have begun year-round testing of rescued raccoon dogs for a range of viruses and bacterial infections that could threaten both humans and pets.

The Seoul Institute of Health and Environment announced Tuesday that it is conducting in-depth testing on raccoon dogs captured in urban areas. The tests will screen for 10 types of zoonotic diseases, including rabies, as well as 13 major canine-related illnesses, such as parvovirus.

This is the first time any local government in Korea has undertaken such a program.

Officials are collecting samples from raccoon dogs rescued in residential areas and city parks, in collaboration with the Seoul Wildlife Rescue Center.

"Raccoon dogs belong to the canine family and can contract viral and bacterial infections similar to those seen in pet dogs," the Seoul Institute said in a statement. "They can transmit pathogens to both humans and companion animals."

A raccoon dog at West Seoul Lake Park in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on July 11, 2024, doesn't move when approached by humans. [YONHAP]

Raccoon dog encounters in the capital have grown steadily in recent years.

A 2024 report by the Seoul Institute revealed that raccoon dogs have been observed in 24 out of the city’s 25 districts, with suitable habitats covering roughly 32 percent of Seoul's land area. Rescue cases rose from 63 in 2022 to 117 in 2024.

Preliminary testing conducted by the institute between October last year and early this year found a variety of zoonotic and pet-related pathogens in both rescued raccoon dogs and ticks removed from them.

However, no cases of rabies — considered one of the most dangerous threats — were detected.

A family of raccoon dogs at West Seoul Lake Park in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, stare at the camera on July 11, 2024. [YONHAP]

The city’s new surveillance program will remain in place year-round.

Authorities urged residents not to feed wild animals, not to approach them and to avoid provoking them, promoting what they described as “positive distancing.”

“This monitoring initiative reflects a proactive 'One Health' approach, which looks at the health of humans, animals and the environment together,” said Park Ju-seong, director of the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment. “Our goal is to use the data to inform science-based, systematic public health and disease control policies.”

BY LEE SOO-KI [[email protected]]