The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of a rise in tularemia, or “rabbit fever,” cases in the United States.
The zoonotic bacterial disease is often spread through tick and deer fly bites.
Fox News reports:
Caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis, the disease commonly infects rabbits, hares and rodents. However, it is zoonotic, which means it can spread from animals to humans.
The bacteria is a “tier-1 select agent,” a classification given to agents and toxins that “present the greatest risk of deliberate misuse with significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effects to the economy, critical infrastructure or public confidence, and pose a severe threat to public health and safety,” per the CDC.
Although tularemia is relatively rare, with only 2,462 diagnoses between 2011 and 2022, cases have risen 56% compared to the prior decade (2001 to 2010), as reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“Increased reporting of probable cases might be associated with an actual increase in human infection, improved tularemia detection or both,” the CDC report says.
Symptoms can include myalgia, chest discomfort, cough, severe sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, chills, headache, malaise, fatigue, and anorexia.
According to the CDC, the most common form of the disease causes “a skin ulcer” at the site “where the bacteria entered the body. The ulcer is accompanied by swelling of regional lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin.”
“Tularemia can be difficult to diagnose. It is a rare disease, and the symptoms can be mistaken for other, more common illnesses. For this reason, it is important to share with your health care provider any likely exposures, such as tick and deer fly bites, or contact with sick or dead animals,” the CDC explained.
The death rate is normally low, less than two percent. It can be treated with antibiotics.
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