United States: As we can say the cases of “rabbit fever,” also known as tularemia, which have been rising over the past decade and for a long time. There was a 56 precent increase in cases during the 2010s which is compared to the previous decade. Half of the nearly 2,500 cases reported between 2011 and 2022 who were basically in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, but the disease has been found in 47 states.
‘The case fatality rate of tularemia is usually below 2% but may rise up to 24%’ the team of Kugeler and her team from the CDC was keen to point out.
This disease is the result of infection with the bacterium named Francisella tularensis, ‘an organism that has been identified as tier-1 select agent due to the threat of bioterrorism,’ the authors stated.
As reported by the Health Day, Consumption of contaminated water, exposure to infected animals such as rabbits or rodents, or even being bitten by a tick or deer fly, the CDC added.
Tularemia is curable if treated with antibiotics, but the outbreak can lead to pneumonia if left unnoticed according to the researchers.
They include skin ulcers, burning eye symptoms, sore throat and cough, mild dyspnea and swollen glands where bacteria entered the body.
Again, to be read in conjunction with this is the conclusion that American Indian/Alaskan Native people are predisposed to tularemia as indicated by infection rates between 5 times those of whites as reported by the research workers.
More susceptible were reported in children aged 5-9 and senior men who are 65 years old and above.
The authors pointed out that the given results could indicate a real growth of new human infections or better diagnostics of brand-new cases due to advanced lab diagnostics.
Safe measures that can be taken against tularemia are avoiding consuming water, food or soil likely to be contaminated by infected animals, using insect repellent and also wearing some long pants, long sleeves and long socks to avoid being bitten by ticks and deer flies, according to the CDC.
The CDC provides information that people also should not touch sick animals, do not mow over dead animals and males should wear gloves for the handling of any wild animals.
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