{"id":26593,"date":"2026-08-03T23:06:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T18:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26593"},"modified":"2026-08-03T23:06:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T18:06:27","slug":"what-to-know-about-rabbit-fever-amid-3-probable-cases-reported-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=26593","title":{"rendered":"What to know about &#8216;rabbit fever&#8217; amid 3 probable cases reported in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">Health officials in New York are reporting at least three probable cases of a rare bacterial illness on Long Island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Suffolk County Department of Health said laboratory testing is needed to confirm the cases of tularemia, also known as &#8220;rabbit fever,&#8221; which may take several weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Confirmation of a tularemia diagnosis requires a combination of laboratory testing and fulfillment of specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria,&#8221; the department told <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abc7ny.com\/post\/probable-cases-rare-rabbit-fever-reported-suffolk-county\/19608282\/\" dir=\"ltr\">ABC 7 New York<\/a>. &#8220;The laboratory testing to confirm a tularemia diagnosis may take several weeks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Here&#8217;s what you need to know about the disease including how it spreads, the symptoms to look for and how to prevent illness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><strong class=\"vtkaO \">What is tularemia?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Tularemia is a rare, potentially serious illness caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, according to the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tularemia\/about\/index.html\" dir=\"ltr\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC).<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">It is <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tularemia\/causes\/index.html\" dir=\"ltr\">commonly spread<\/a> through tick bites and deer flies that have fed on infected animals, such as wild rabbits, hares, muskrats and rodents. The disease does not spread from person to person.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e37c9234-94a5-4d3b-b6e1-f5534711ce08\/dog-tick-as-jef-260803_1785764008524_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e37c9234-94a5-4d3b-b6e1-f5534711ce08\/dog-tick-as-jef-260803_1785764008524_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e37c9234-94a5-4d3b-b6e1-f5534711ce08\/dog-tick-as-jef-260803_1785764008524_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e37c9234-94a5-4d3b-b6e1-f5534711ce08\/dog-tick-as-jef-260803_1785764008524_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/e37c9234-94a5-4d3b-b6e1-f5534711ce08\/dog-tick-as-jef-260803_1785764008524_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Stock photo of a dog tick on a leaf.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">ondreicka\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Humans can also become infected when handling the skin of infected animal tissue by inhaling dust or aerosols contaminated with the bacteria or by drinking contaminated water, the CDC says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;It&#8217;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,&#8221; Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told ABC News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Tularemia is more common in males and more commonly occurs from May through September, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Since 2019 and through 2023, fewer than 200 cases have been reported annually, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tularemia\/data-research\/index.html\" dir=\"ltr\">CDC data<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><strong class=\"vtkaO \">What are the signs and symptoms?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tularemia\/signs-symptoms\/index.html\" dir=\"ltr\">Symptoms of tularemia<\/a> can vary depending on how a person became infected, and illnesses range from mild to life-threatening, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">All forms of the illness include a fever that can be as high as 104 degrees. Dr. Zoe Weiss, director of clinical microbiology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News the period from exposure to when symptoms appear is typically three to five days, but can be up to three weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Tularemia presents the way a bad flu starts &#8212; sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, feeling wiped out,&#8221; Weiss said. &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Those who touched an infected animal tissue and then their eyes can develop oculoglandular tularemia, which includes irritation and inflammation of the eye and swelling of lymph glands in front of the ear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Patients who ate or drank contaminated food and water can develop oropharyngeal tularemia, which may include a sore throat, mouth ulcers, tonsillitis and swelling of neck lymph glands, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The most serious form, known as pneumonic tularemia, develops after someone breathes in infected dust or aerosols. Symptoms include cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing. It can also occur when other forms of the illness are left untreated and the bacteria spreads through the bloodstream to the lungs, the CDC says.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Stock photo of a European brown hare exhibiting extreme lethargy and reduced flight response, a key clinical symptom of the dangerous zoonotic disease Tularemia, Rabbit Fever.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Alexander Laengauer\/Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Tularemia can be difficult to diagnose because of how rare it is, and the symptoms can resemble other more common illnesses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;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 &#8230; having the physician inquire about what sources,&#8221; Schaffner said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \"><strong class=\"vtkaO \">How to prevent, treat tularemia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Tularemia is highly treatable with commonly used antibiotics,&#8221; Weiss said. &#8220;It used to be deadly, but now it is much more treatable with antibiotics.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When hiking or camping, the CDC <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tularemia\/prevention\/index.html\" dir=\"ltr\">recommends<\/a> using Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">People should wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks to protect against ticks and deer flies. If a tick attaches, promptly remove it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health officials in New York are reporting at least three probable cases of a rare bacterial illness on Long Island. The Suffolk County Department of Health said laboratory testing is needed to confirm the cases of tularemia, also known as &#8220;rabbit fever,&#8221; which may take several weeks. &#8220;Confirmation of a tularemia diagnosis requires a combination&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d4bce70c-e844-45f7-b95f-596f5d13ae96\/wild-rabbit-as-jef-260803_1785764008423_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}