However, rabies is transmitted by a bite or the saliva of an infected animal, so the disease cannot travel through contact with excrement. The actual threat from groundhog poop is a disease known ...

Powassan virus, a rare but fatal tick-borne illness, can cause severe brain inflammation and death within days. Experts warn ...

Zaffuto said the juvenile groundhog crawled up the game’s one ... With the box door open and using bite-proof gloves, Zaffuto was able to reach in and finagle the creature into a waiting crate ...

It's very common in American folklore to find a reference to animals to describe a situation or an incident; "Bull in a China shop," "Elephant in the room," "All bark and no bite," just to name a few.