Tularemia, often dubbed “rabbit fever,” has seen a startling 56% increase in U.S. cases over the past decade, according to a recent report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Rabbit fever is a rare but serious zoonotic disease that poses significant risks to human health. This bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis gets transmitted through bug bites or improper handling of infected animals, inhaling contaminated aerosols, or consuming tainted water. Tularemia is not contagious from person to person.
There is no vaccine to prevent the infection, but it is treatable with antibiotics. However, if it is left untreated, the infection has the potential to cause fatality in more than 2% of cases, depending on the strain of bacteria that has caused the infection.
“During 2011–2022, 47 states reported 2,462 tularemia cases (0.064 per 100,000 population), representing a 56% increase in incidence compared with 2001–2010. Incidence was highest among children aged 5–9 years, older men, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons, among whom incidence was approximately five times that among White persons,” the latest CDC report stated.
The report reveals that half of all tularemia cases originated from just four states, with Arkansas leading at 18%, followed by Kansas and Missouri at 11% each, and Oklahoma at 10%. When comparing tularemia incidence among different races, white individuals represented the majority of cases at 84%, followed by American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) at 9%, Hispanic or Latino at 5%, Black or African American at 2%, and Asian or Pacific Islander at 1%.
The recent rise in cases could be because more people are actually getting infected or healthcare systems are better at identifying and diagnosing the disease.
To reduce incidence, the CDC urges the need for increasing awareness among healthcare providers, particularly those working with tribal communities to ensure quick and accurate diagnosis and treatment of tularemia.
Know signs of Tularemia:
Tularemia can affect various parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, skin, eyes, throat, lungs, and intestines. Symptoms depend on the route through which the bacteria enters the body. The signs include fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin ulcers, sore throat, and eye infections. In severe cases, the infection can lead to inflammation in the brain and heart, as well as pneumonia.
