Riverhead Woman Treated for Tularemia After Cat Bite

A Riverhead woman over the age of 65 was hospitalized for tularemia, the rare bacterial infection also known as rabbit fever, after being bitten by her outdoor cat, doctors said. The bite occurred while she was attempting to give the cat medication, and the cat later died from the disease.

Dr. Michael Huang, chief of infectious diseases at Peconic Bay Medical Center, explained that the patient initially received treatment for the cat bite before blood cultures confirmed the presence of the tularemia bacterium. She remains in care at the hospital and is reported to be improving.

Tularemia can be transmitted to humans through ticks, flies, or direct contact with infected wildlife such as rabbits and rodents. Cats are particularly vulnerable, often acquiring the infection from ticks or by hunting infected small mammals. Huang noted that the cat may have bitten or hunted a sick rabbit before biting the woman.

This case is the fourth confirmed tularemia infection in Suffolk County in 2024, following three probable cases identified earlier in the year. The county health department reported two additional cases this year involving landscaping workers. State health data show four cases in Suffolk County in 2024, three in 2023, and one in 2022, while neighboring Nassau County has reported only one case in 2023 and none so far this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 150 to 200 tularemia cases nationwide each year. Transmission can also occur through skin contact with infected animals, consumption of contaminated water, or inhalation of aerosols and dust containing the bacteria.

Local resident Tracey Detmer recounted her 9-year-old son’s struggle with tularemia after a tick bite in April, noting that he continues to experience low energy and stamina despite completing two courses of antibiotics.