3 probable cases of rare ‘rabbit fever’ disease reported in NY

NewsTularemia, also known as "rabbit fever," is a rare bacterial disease with outbreaks often linked to wild rabbits. (Getty Images photo)Getty ImagesBy Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.comThree probable cases of a rare infectious disease have been reported in New York state.WABC reports the Suffolk County Department of Health has identified three “probable cases of tularemia,” also known as “rabbit fever.” Laboratory testing to confirm diagnosis is expected to take weeks, according to the SCDHS.Tracy Detmer told the TV station that her 9-year-old son got sick in April and is still feeling the effects of the disease. She said he got it from a tick while playing in the yard at their Riverhead, Long Island, home.“You feel terrible, you truly, like, he’d be laying there crying at nighttime and like, there’s nothing you can do, you feel terrible,” Detmer told WABC. “He was sick, he was truly so sick.”According to the New York State Department of Health, tularemia is a rare bacterial disease associated with both animals and humans. Wild rabbits are most often involved in outbreaks — hence the nickname “rabbit fever” — though it can spread through insect bites (such as deer flies and ticks), animal tissue, bodily fluids, or contaminated food and water.Tularemia symptoms can include skin lesions, swollen glands, throat infection, intestinal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and fevers or a pneumonia-like illness. Symptoms generally appear 3 to 5 days after exposure and can be treated with antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamycin and amikacin.Detmer told the ABC affiliate that her son had a fever for 10 days, along with head and neck pain. She told CBS New York that he still feels fatigued after three months.“His lymph nodes were swollen, he couldn’t turn his neck. His head was killing him where the bite was,” Detmer told CBS. “He woke up, and the thing on the top of his head was like a draining pimple.”Only about 200 cases of tularemia occur nationwide every year, according to Dr. Sharon Nachman, division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Nachman told WABC that more cases could occur as it’s been a “very bad tick season this year.”Experts recommend people protect themselves from tick bites by avoiding grassy, brushy and wooded areas. Stay in the center of trails when hiking, use EPA-registered insect repellents like DEET and wear clothes treated with 0.5% permethrin to keep ticks away.The NYS Health Department also recommends additional tips to prevent tularemia infections: Wear rubber gloves when skinning or handling animals, especially rabbits. Wild rabbit and rodent meat should be cooked thoroughly before eating. And wash hands with soap and water following the handling of carcasses.Geoff "DeafGeoff" Herbert is a Reporter and Content Supervisor for Advance Local. He covers a wide range of topics including entertainment, national news and trending topics, plus specializes in search engine...