Three cases of tularemia, a rare tick-borne bacterial illness also known as rabbit fever, have been reported in Suffolk County, New York, this year, health officials said Monday.
Tularemia is spread primarily through tick bites, but direct contact with an infected animal can also transmit the disease. Rabbits are among the most common carriers, giving the illness its name, though rodents and biting insects may spread it as well. The Suffolk County Department of Health described tularemia as a rare infection, noting that one of the first indicators is a tick bite that develops into an open wound.
Symptoms include high fever, extreme fatigue, chills, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and gastrointestinal issues, and doctors warn the illness can be more severe than Lyme disease.
A case earlier this year illustrates the disease’s course. Nine-year-old John Detmer was diagnosed with tularemia after a tick bite on his head. His symptoms lasted several weeks and the diagnosis came only after he was referred to an infectious disease doctor.
Confirming a case is a careful process. “Confirmation of a tularemia diagnosis requires a combination of laboratory testing and fulfillment of specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria,” the Suffolk County Department of Health said. “The laboratory testing to confirm a tularemia diagnosis may take several weeks.”