What You Need To Know
During spring 2024, three confirmed cases of tularemia in cats from Atlantic County were reported to New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). NJDOH would like to remind veterinarians and healthcare providers to consider tularemia in domestic companion animals or people with compatible clinical illness, and report all cases to the local health department where they reside.
Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is a rare, potentially serious zoonotic illness caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. This bacterium occurs widely in nature and can affect animals, particularly rodents and rabbits. Tularemia can be acquired by domestic companion animals, particularly cats.
Tularemia can be transmitted to domestic companion animals or people in multiple ways, such as being bitten by an infected tick or deer fly; handling infected animal carcasses (e.g., wild rabbits); eating or drinking contaminated food or water; or inhaling the bacteria.
People can also get tularemia following exposures to infected cats, such as through a bite or scratch of an infected cat. The American dog tick and the lone star tick, both found locally, are known to transmit tularemia.
Action Items:
Healthcare Providers:
- Consider tularemia in persons who have compatible symptoms and risk factors.
Take thorough occupational and travel histories and to assess for animal or tick-bite exposures when evaluating patients with febrile illnesses. - Inform laboratory staff of suspicion for tularemia when submitting diagnostic specimens so that appropriate precautions can be taken; cultures of Francisella tularensis can lead to aerosolization if not handled appropriately, leading to laboratory exposures.
- Report tularemia cases to the local health department where the patient resides.