Hedgehogs are susceptible to several diseases including ringworm, lungworm and salmonellosis that cause welfare harm and complicate rehabilitation.
Hedgehogs with respiratory disease from lungworm infection experience progressive breathing difficulty that significantly compromises their quality of life. Ringworm causes skin lesions, hair loss and irritation. Disease burden can be high in populations under nutritional stress. Wildlife rehabilitators must assess and treat disease alongside injuries when admitting hedgehogs. Members of the public finding hedgehogs should handle them carefully to protect both animal and human welfare. Population-level disease monitoring provides data to guide conservation and welfare responses.