Quick Answer: Rabbit fever, also called tularemia, is a rare bacterial infection spread by tick bites, deer fly bites or contact with infected animals. It can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue, but it’s usually treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed early.
Recent reports of probable rabbit fever (tularemia) in New York have raised awareness about this rare bacterial infection. While tularemia is uncommon, it can spread through tick bites and contact with infected wildlife. Knowing the symptoms, when to seek care and how to prevent tick bites can help you stay safe while enjoying the outdoors.
Key Facts About Rabbit Fever
- Rabbit fever and tularemia are the same illness.
- It is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.
- Tick bites are one of the most common ways people become infected in the Northeast.
- Symptoms usually begin three to five days after exposure.
- Rabbit fever does not spread from person to person.
- Early treatment with antibiotics is highly effective.
What Is Rabbit Fever (Tularemia)?
Rabbit fever, or tularemia, is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Tularemia can become serious if left untreated, but it’s usually curable with antibiotics when caught early.
Tularemia is rare, with only a few hundred cases reported in the United States each year. Most cases occur during the warmer months when ticks are active and people spend more time outdoors.
How Do People Get Tularemia?
Rabbit fever mainly affects wild rabbits, hares and rodents, but people can become infected, too. Despite its nickname, you do not have to touch a rabbit to get rabbit fever. People can become infected through:
- Tick bites (one of the most common sources in the Northeast)
- Deer fly bites
- Contact with infected animals, including rabbits, rodents and other wildlife
- Bites or scratches from infected animals (including pets that may have been exposed to infected wildlife)
- Hunting or preparing wild game
- Breathing in contaminated dust while mowing or landscaping near infected animal carcasses
- Drinking contaminated water (rare)
Tularemia does not only come from wild rabbits. In rare cases, people have become infected after contact with an infected domestic animal, such as a cat that may have been exposed to the bacteria.
What Are the Symptoms of Tularemia?
Symptoms usually appear three to five days after exposure, but they can take up to three weeks to develop.
Common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches
Other symptoms may include:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- A skin ulcer where the bacteria entered the body
- Eye redness or irritation
- Sore throat
- Cough or chest pain
Tularemia can sometimes be mistaken for Lyme disease or the flu because the early symptoms are similar.
When Should You See a Doctor?
Contact your healthcare provider if you develop a fever or other flu-like symptoms after:
- A tick bite
- Removing a tick
- Handling wildlife
- Hunting or preparing wild game
- Mowing or working outdoors where wildlife may be present
Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about any recent tick bites or outdoor activities. That information can help doctors diagnose tularemia more quickly.
Is Rabbit Fever Contagious?
No. Rabbit fever does not spread from person to person. You cannot catch it from someone who is sick.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Anyone can get tularemia, but the risk is higher for people who spend a lot of time outdoors, including:
- Hikers and campers
- Gardeners and landscapers
- Hunters
- Farmers
- Veterinarians
- Outdoor workers
- Children who frequently play in wooded or grassy areas
How Is Rabbit Fever Diagnosed?
Doctors diagnose tularemia by reviewing your symptoms, asking about recent outdoor activities or tick exposure, performing a physical exam and ordering blood tests or other specialized laboratory tests.
Because confirmatory testing can take time, doctors may begin antibiotic treatment before test results are complete if they strongly suspect tularemia.
How Is Rabbit Fever Treated?
Tularemia is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment is the best way to prevent serious illness, and most people recover completely, although it may take several weeks to feel fully back to normal.
How Can You Prevent Rabbit Fever?
Simple precautions can help reduce your risk of tularemia:
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent when spending time outdoors.
- Wear long sleeves and long pants in wooded or grassy areas.
- Check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks after outdoor activities.
- Remove ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers.
- Wear gloves when handling wild animals.
- Avoid touching sick or dead wildlife, including rabbits and other animals that may carry the bacterium that cause tularemia.
- Use caution around pets that may have had contact with wildlife. If your pet becomes sick after interacting with a wild animal, contact your veterinarian.
- Cook wild game thoroughly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get rabbit fever from a tick bite?
Yes. Tick bites are one of the most common ways people become infected with tularemia in the Northeast.
Is rabbit fever contagious?
No. Tularemia does not spread from person to person.
Is rabbit fever common?
No. Tularemia is a rare disease, although cases are reported every year in the United States.
Can rabbit fever be cured?
Yes. Most people recover fully with prompt antibiotic treatment.
What to Know
Rabbit fever is rare, but it’s a reminder that tick bite prevention is important for anyone who spends time outdoors. Wearing insect repellent, checking for ticks and seeking medical care if you develop a fever after a tick bite or other possible exposure can help you stay healthy all season long.
If you’re concerned about a recent tick bite, symptoms or exposure, schedule a consultation at the Stony Brook Regional Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center. For adult appointments at the clinic in Hampton Bays, please call (631) 725-2112. Children’s appointments can be scheduled at (631) 444-KIDS (5437).
Stony Brook’s specialized clinic, which is the first and only dedicated Tick-Borne Disease Clinic in the Northeast, provides:
- Infectious disease specialists who see adults and children on site
- Expert tick removal, diagnosis and treatment
- Convenient lab services/blood drawing
- Potential opportunity to participate in research studies
- Counseling on tick bite prevention, tick identification, tick removal kits and Tick-Borne Disease Reference Handbooks
