Rabbit Fever Symptoms, Causes and Treatment: The United States is reporting a surge in cases of a rare disease, sparking worry among health experts. Over the past decade, the country is seeing a significant rise in tularemia, a rare bacterial disease locally known as rabbit fever.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2011 and 2022, 47 states reported 2,462 cases, marking a 56 percent increase compared to the previous decade. The US health body has reported a 50 percent spike in the case of ‘Rabbit Fever’ from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Several media reports claim that children aged between five and nine, older men, and individuals of American Indian or Alaska Native descent are the most affected groups.
What is Rabbit Fever?
Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is a highly infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. According to Cleveland Clinics, you can get it from bug bites, infected animals, contaminated water or food, and particles of bacteria in the air. Tularemia can affect your skin, eyes, throat, lungs and intestines. Tularemia should be treated as soon as possible with antibiotics. Occasionally, a form of the infection that results in pneumonia or a throat infection may occur. According to CDC, rabbits, hares, and rodents are especially susceptible and often die in large numbers during outbreaks. People can become infected in several ways, including:
- Tick and deer fly bites
- Skin contact with infected animals
- Drinking contaminated water
- Inhaling contaminated aerosols or agricultural and landscaping dust
What are the symptoms of Rabbit Fever?
Symptoms of tularemia depend on what form you have. According to Cleveland Clinics, most forms cause a fever, various types of rash and additional symptoms specific to where the infection is in your body.
Symptoms of ulceroglandular and glandular tularemia
- Fever.
- Very large, swollen and painful lymph nodes.
- Open wound (ulcer or lesion) on your skin (ulceroglandular tularemia only).
- Symptoms of oculoglandular tularemia
- Eye pain.
- Watery eyes (tearing).
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
- Swollen, painful lymph nodes around your ears or neck.
- Open sore on your eye (corneal ulceration).
- Symptoms of oropharyngeal tularemia
- Fever.
- Severe sore throat.
- Swollen, red throat with white patches.
Some people may also have:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea (can be bloody).
- Abdominal (stomach) pain.
- Symptoms of pneumonic tularemia
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- Chest pain or tightness.
- Muscles aches.
- Red bumps or rash (erythema nodosum).
- Coughing up blood (hemoptysis).
Symptoms of typhoidal tularemia
- High fever.
- Chills.
- Headache.
- Loss of appetite.
- Muscle aches.
- Sore throat.
- Abdominal (stomach) pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Confusion.
How Rabbit Fever is treated?
Treatment of tularemia involves broad-spectrum antibiotics. According to Cleveland Clinics, it’s important to treat tularemia as soon as possible.