What You Need to Know

A fourth case of rabbit fever has been reported in New York, highlighting the need for awareness about tularemia.

New York has reported its fourth confirmed case of rabbit fever, also known as tularemia, raising public health concerns about this rare bacterial infection that spreads through infected animals and tick bites (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
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Although tularemia is rare, the department has seen cases in recent years, including three in 2023, four in 2024 and six in 2025, Pigott said.

What is Rabbit Fever (Tularemia)?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rabbit fever, medically known as tularemia, is a rare bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis. The disease primarily affects rabbits, hares, rodents, and other wild animals, but humans can also become infected.

“It’s often called rabbit fever because hunters who shoot rabbits and then skin and eviscerate them can become contaminated by that close contact with their tissues,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told in an interview.

Tularemia can spread through tick and deer fly bites, direct contact with infected animals, inhalation of contaminated dust, or consumption of contaminated food or water, CDC says.

Since 2019 and through 2023, fewer than 200 cases have been reported annually, CDC data shows.

How does Rabbit Fever Spread?

CDC said that Rabbit fever does not spread from person to person. Instead, humans usually become infected through tick and deer fly bites, direct contact with infected animals such as rabbits, hares, or rodents, inhalation of contaminated dust, or consumption of contaminated food or water. People who spend time outdoors, especially in areas where infected wildlife is present, should take precautions to reduce their risk of infection.

What Are the Symptoms of Rabbit Fever?

The symptoms of tularemia, or rabbit fever, can vary depending on how the bacteria enter the body, but they usually appear within three to five days after exposure and may take up to 14 days in some cases. Common symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and skin ulcers at the site of infection. Some people may also develop sore throat, mouth ulcers, cough, chest pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.

“Tularemia presents the way a bad flu starts — sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, feeling wiped out,” Weiss said. “What sets it apart is what shows up alongside that: a sore or ulcer where you were bitten and a swollen, painful lymph node near it.”

“Most kinds of pneumonia are very, very similar in their presentation because they all cause inflammation of the same organ, the lungs, and so distinguishing the causes depends upon two things: one, getting a good specimen and sending it to the laboratory, and the other is … having the physician inquire about what sources,” Schaffner said.

Prevention and Treatment of Rabbit Fever

“Tularemia is highly treatable with commonly used antibiotics,” Weiss said. “It used to be deadly, but now it is much more treatable with antibiotics.”

The CDC said that until recently, a vaccine was available to protect laboratory workers who interact with the bacteria that causes tularemia. However, the vaccine is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration and is not generally available in the U.S.

When hiking or camping, the CDC recommends using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.

People should wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks to protect against ticks and deer flies. If a tick attaches, promptly remove it.

When mowing or landscaping, do not mow over sick or dead animals. If hunting, trapping or skinning animals, use gloves when handling animals and cook game meat thoroughly before eating, according to the CDC.

Takeaway

Although rabbit fever is a rare disease, the recent fourth reported case in New York highlights the importance of public awareness and preventive measures. CDC advises people to protect themselves from tick bites, avoid contact with infected wild animals, and seek prompt medical care if symptoms develop, as early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can lead to a full recovery.

Reference:

1. About Tularemia – (https://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/about/index.html)

Source-Medindia