'Rabbit fever' warning in Suffolk after 3 cases of tick-borne tularemia

Key Points:

• Suffolk County health officials have identified three probable cases of tularemia, a rare illness transmitted by ticks and flies from infected wild rabbits, causing symptoms like high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and skin sores.
• A 9-year-old boy from Riverhead was diagnosed with tularemia after a tick bite, experiencing prolonged fatigue, pain, and swelling, and was treated with antibiotics; health officials conducted tick sweeps in the family’s yard.
• Tularemia diagnosis requires specific laboratory testing and clinical criteria, which can take several weeks; Suffolk County reported four cases in 2024, with similar case numbers in recent years, while Nassau County reported one case in 2023.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that tularemia can be contracted through tick or fly bites, contact with infected animals, contaminated water, or inhalation of contaminated dust, but it is not transmissible between people.
• Health experts advise caution around wild rabbits and ticks, emphasizing that tularemia symptoms are distinct from other tick-borne diseases common in Long Island, and families are urged to avoid areas with high grass and wildlife exposure.