WYOMING — On Thursday, June 27, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) reported a sharp increase in tularemia or “rabbit fever” cases, which has raised concern for state officials because it’s a potentially life threatening disease if left untreated.
Tularemia is a bacterial illness that frequently affects rabbits, hares and rodents, and has been associated with rabbit and rodent die-offs. People can also become infected with tularemia through tick and deer fly bites, skin contact with infected animals, drinking contaminated water, inhaling contaminated aerosols or agricultural and landscaping dust.
To date, there have been eight confirmed and suspected cases of tularemia from Sheridan, Campbell and Fremont counties, according to the WDH.
“Wyoming typically only sees two cases a year,” Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit Manager Clay Van Houten said in the announcement. “Having eight reports this early in the summer is alarming so we wanted to let people know about the increase. This isn’t an illness with huge numbers, but it can be quite serious for the people who get sick.”
Van Houten said the department can’t offer a definite reason for this year’s increase, but acknowledged weather conditions could be involved.
Symptoms of tularemia can include fever, swollen eyes, a skin ulcer, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, cough, chest pain and pneumonia, according to the WDH. Most cases of tularemia can be treated with antibiotics.
“Because tularemia symptoms can be mistaken for other, more common infections, it is important to let your healthcare provider know if you have had any potential tularemia exposures,” Van Houten said.
The WDH says people can prevent tularemia by avoiding tick and deer fly bites, not drinking untreated surface water, wearing gloves when handling sick or dead animals and avoiding mowing over dead animals.
More information about tularemia can be found here.
