Fourth Tularemia Case Confirmed in Suffolk County, Officials Advise Precautions

A fourth instance of tularemia was confirmed in Suffolk County, New York, as local health officials reported an increase in the disease this summer. The bacterial infection, caused by Francisella tularensis, is typically transmitted to humans through tick or deer-fly bites, though it does not spread from person to person.

County officials said one of the four patients contracted the illness after a tick bite, while the exposure routes for the other three cases have not been disclosed. Earlier this season, a nine-year-old child in the area was treated for tularemia after a tick bite, experiencing swollen lymph nodes and an eleven-day fever.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that tularemia can be life-threatening but is usually treatable with antibiotics. Symptoms vary by infection route and may include high fever, skin ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and severe lung involvement. The disease is most common from May through September, with 200-300 cases reported nationwide each year.

"Tularemia can be life-threatening, but most infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics," the CDC said.

Public health advisers urged residents to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, remove attached ticks promptly, avoid mowing over dead animals, refrain from drinking untreated surface water, and wear gloves when handling sick or dead wildlife.