What to know about 'rabbit fever' amid 3 probable cases reported in New York
Summary
Health officials in Suffolk County, New York, reported three probable cases of tularemia, also called "rabbit fever," a rare bacterial illness. The disease is usually spread by tick or deer fly bites and contact with infected animals, and symptoms include fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes.Key Facts
- Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.
- It spreads mainly through tick and deer fly bites or contact with infected animals like rabbits and rodents.
- The infection is not spread from person to person.
- Symptoms appear 3 to 5 days after exposure but can take up to 3 weeks.
- Common symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a sore or ulcer at the site of infection.
- Handling infected animal tissue can lead to eye infections and swollen lymph glands.
- The most serious form, pneumonic tularemia, affects the lungs and causes coughing and breathing problems.
- Lab tests to confirm the disease can take several weeks.
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