Suffolk County reports three probable cases of tularemia this summer

Health officials in Suffolk County, Long Island, have reported three probable cases of tularemia, a rare bacterial infection also known as rabbit fever. The county health department said confirmation of each case requires laboratory testing and specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria, and that testing may take several weeks.

One of the cases involves a 9-year-old boy from Riverhead who developed severe head and neck pain, a ten-day fever and an ulcer at the bite site after a tick was removed from his scalp. After multiple medical visits, an infectious disease specialist diagnosed the illness.

"The area of the bite forms an ulcer, and it's a relatively obvious ulcer," said Dr. Sharon Nachman, division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. "We know how to diagnose it and have effective antibiotics. The issue is who gets infected and why."

Dr. Nachman noted that this year's tick season in Suffolk County has been unusually severe, though the exact cause of the increase in cases remains uncertain. Tularemia is transmitted through bites from infected ticks or deerflies, or through contact with infected wildlife such as rabbits, but it does not spread from person to person.

The New York State Department of Health issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to disease prevention and collaboration with local health agencies. While there are no confirmed tularemia cases in New York State for 2026, the agency advises residents to wear long sleeves, long pants and gloves, and to avoid contact with sick or dead wild rabbits to reduce tick exposure.

Tularemia affects roughly 200 people nationwide each year, and early diagnosis followed by appropriate antibiotic treatment typically leads to recovery, although convalescence can take weeks or months.