There are many 'zombie' animals. Here's which ones you should actually worry about

Animals are turning into zombies — or at least that's what you might think from recent headlines.

"Zombie" deer, raccoons and snakes are among the animals generating terrifying news coverage this year. But even so, the animals aren't particularly dangerous to humans in most cases.

Often — but not always — "zombie" animals are sick, presenting symptoms that mimic those you might expect from the undead: Confusion, clumsiness, drooling. Generally, different diseases impact different species of animals.

But the label has been applied to perfectly health animals as well. Here's a rundown of some notable "zombie" animals and how they came to national prominence.

Deer

Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a deadly infectious disease in deer that has been unofficially dubbed "zombie" deer disease.

Symptoms of the disease, which can take more than a year to develop, include drastic weight loss, lack of coordination, listlessness, drooling, excessive thirst or urination, drooping ears, lack of fear of people and aggression. 

Those symptoms — coupled with CWD's ability to spread easily through contaminated bodily fluids — has led to the "zombie" moniker.

Fears that the disease could transfer to humans drew national attention this year. The situation has drawn comparisons to "mad cow" disease, which — after public skepticism that the disease would harm humans — killed more than 150 people in the United Kingdom in the 1990s, the Independent reports.

Scientists aren't sure if CWD will cross over and infect humans. People are likely eating meat from infected deer and as time goes on, the likelihood of the disease impacting humans increases, according to Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Should you worry? Maybe a little bit if you eat meat from wild deer in the areas where CWD has been found.

Raccoons

When infected with the distemper virus, raccoons can exhibit some pretty zombie-like symptoms:

• Walking around dazed and confused, and/or approaching people or pets
• Staggering or falling down when walking
• Showing their teeth
• Having "glowing” eyes

The symptoms are so pronounced that at least one local government has referred to infected raccoons as zombies in a warning:

"'Zombie raccoons' have been making the news lately, and residents are asking what that means. Sadly, the nickname refers to raccoons that may appear zombie-like due to a viral disease called distemper," a post from the city of Dublin, Ohio, reads.

While humans cannot catch distemper, they can accidentally transfer it to their dogs via clothing, a fact sheet from a Canadian Humane Society says. The disease is highly contagious and can spread through a variety of methods, including inhalation and contact with raccoon feces.

Should you worry? Not particularly. But be aware the disease can impact dogs, especially if they're not vaccinated.

Snakes

One snake species was recently labeled a zombie for its tendency to play dead by rolling on its back and opening its mouth in an effort to prevent predators from attacking. 

When detailing the behavior of the eastern hognose, or Heterodon platirhinos, North Carolina State Parks and Recreation wrote in a June Facebook post: "Who is this 'famous' NC snake? A cobra? A zombie snake?"

And soon the label stuck.

After widespread media attention, Katie Hall, a spokeswoman for North Carolina State Parks and Recreation, clarified that the mostly-harmless snakes were more "adorable" than dangerous.

Should you worry? Nope.

Cats & Dogs

Various reports in recent years have detailed cats and dogs that dug their way out of graves.

In 2015, a stray dog that was hit by a car dug out of its grave in Washington state, KHQ-TV reported.

That same year, a similar situation happened in Florida: Bart the "zombie" cat apparently dug its way out of a grave after a collision with a car, WTSP-TV reported.

In both cases, the people who buried the injured animals thought they were dead, the reports say.

Should you worry? Just please be careful when burying pets.

Contributing: Ryan W. Miller