New York reports three probable cases of tularemia on Long Island

Health officials in Suffolk County, New York, have identified at least three probable cases of tularemia, a rare bacterial infection sometimes called "rabbit fever," on Long Island. Laboratory testing required for confirmation may take several weeks, the department told ABC 7 New York.

Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis and is typically transmitted through tick or deer-fly bites, or by handling infected animal tissues such as those of wild rabbits, hares, muskrats and rodents. The disease does not spread from person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that infection can also occur by inhaling contaminated dust or aerosols, or by drinking contaminated water.

"It'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," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Symptoms vary with the route of infection but generally include a sudden high fever, chills, headache, body aches and fatigue, followed by specific signs such as a sore or ulcer at the bite site and swollen lymph nodes. Ocular involvement, sore throat, or pneumonia may develop depending on exposure. The incubation period ranges from three to five days up to three weeks.

"Tularemia presents the way a bad flu starts -- sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, feeling wiped out," said Dr. Zoe Weiss, director of clinical microbiology at Tufts Medical Center. "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."

The CDC emphasizes that tularemia is treatable with commonly used antibiotics, though early diagnosis can be challenging due to its rarity and symptom overlap with other illnesses.

Prevention measures include using EPA-registered insect repellents, wearing protective clothing, promptly removing attached ticks, avoiding contact with dead animals, and using gloves when handling wildlife. Cooking game meat thoroughly is also advised. A vaccine for laboratory workers exists but is currently under FDA review and not widely available.