Suffolk County health officials report three probable tularemia cases

The Suffolk County Department of Health announced three probable cases of tularemia, a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, deer flies, and contact with infected wildlife such as rabbits, hares and rodents. The department said a definitive diagnosis requires laboratory testing and meeting specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria, and that confirmation could take several weeks.

One of the suspected patients is a nine-year-old boy from Riverhead who became ill after a tick was removed from his head in late April. He experienced severe head and neck pain and a fever lasting about ten days before an infectious-disease specialist identified tularemia as the likely cause.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 196 tularemia cases nationwide in 2023, with most infections occurring between May and September. Suffolk County has reported four cases so far in 2024, the highest number since before 2014. While the disease can be serious, it is generally treatable with antibiotics. Health officials advise using insect repellent, wearing gloves when handling sick or dead animals, and avoiding mowing over carcasses to reduce risk.

The report follows a recent confirmation of a Bourbon virus case in the same county, a rare tick-borne illness without a vaccine or specific cure.