The Suffolk County Department of Health (SCDHS) announced three potential cases of an illness known as “rabbit fever.”
The highly infectious bacterial disease tularemia is known to spread through tick and deerfly bites, as well as through infected rabbits, hares and rodents.
While the disease is rare, four cases were reported in 2024, the highest number since before 2014, as the illness is more common during May through September.
One nine-year-old victim, John Detmer, became sick in late April after a tick off was pulled off his head after he’d been playing in his yard that doubles as a haven for wild rabbits, despite never touching the animals.
It took multiple doctor visits before an infectious disease specialist diagnosed John with the rare disease.
While tularemia can be treated with antibiotics, the infection can be life-threatening if left untreated.
However, it could be weeks before the cases are confirmed, as “a combination of laboratory testing and fulfillment of specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria” is required, SCDHS told ABC7.
What is “rabbit fever”?
“Rabbit fever” is one nickname for tularemia, an infection from the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Other names include deer fly fever, wild hare disease and lawnmower tularemia.
This disease commonly spreads from infected animals to people through insect bites (such as a tick or deerfly), skin contact with infected animals, contaminated food or water or breathing in bacteria from agricultural dust or exposed tissues (if a lawnmower runs over an animal.)
There are several forms of tularemia:
- Ulceroglandular tularemia, the most common form, that develops from an infected tick or animal bite and affects the skin and lymph nodes.
- Oropharyngeal tularemia from ingesting contaminated food or water.
- Pneumonic tularemia, a serious form from breathing in the bacteria that causes pneumonia-like symptoms.
While uncommon — there were fewer than 200 cases in the US in 2023, according to the CDC — the number may be rising due to climate change, especially as New York is smack dab in the middle of its worst tick season yet.
What are rabbit fever symptoms?
Tularemia symptoms can vary based on where the infection occurs, such as the lymph nodes, skin, eyes, throat, intestines or lungs.
Most of the general symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, chills, headache, loss of appetite, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, nausea and vomiting.
And depending on which type you have, other signs can include pink eye, skin rash, sore throat, cough, diarrhea and confusion.
Complications can also arise from a tularemia infection, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (a life-threatening lung injury) and inflammation of the brain, heart, bone or liver.
How is tularemia treated?
Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria that causes tularemia. While recovery without antibiotics is possible, there’s a high possibility of severe complications without treatment.
Tularemia may be fatal in up to 50% of cases without treatment.
An antibiotic course is usually prescribed for two to three weeks, but it may take longer to fully recover and some symptoms may return.
A visit to the ER is necessary if any of the following symptoms occur:
- 103 degree fever
- Stiff neck
- Bluish skin, lips or nails
- Confusion
- Trouble breathing
- Lightheadedness
- Coughing up blood
How is tularemia prevented?
To prevent illness, the CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing gloves when handling sick or dead animals and wearing long pants, long sleeves and long socks outside.
Wear a mask while mowing and avoid mowing over dead animals. Check for ticks after being outside and properly remove them as soon as possible.
