Cases of rare 'rabbit fever' disease spread by ticks are increasing in Kansas

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Federal health officials are reporting that cases of a rare tick disease are becoming more prominent in some Midwestern states, including Kansas.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new report on Dec. 30 focusing on cases of tularemia in the nation from 2011 through to 2022. Also known as rabbit fever, tularemia can impact pets, wildlife and humans by causing mild to life-threatening symptoms.

The CDC report states that during its observation period it found 2,462 cases of tularemia in people nationwide. However, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma were home to half of all cases identified by the CDC. Most cases were in children between the ages of five to nine, adult men 65 to 84-years-old and Native Americans.

Tularemia spreads through ticks and deer fly bites but people can also come into contact with it through touching infected animals or drinking water containing the disease, according to the CDC. People infected with rabbit fever can develop painful ulcers, most commonly in the armpit or groin areas. The disease can also attack a person's eyes, throat and lungs depending on how it is introduced into the body.

The CDC reports that the most serious cases of tularemia occur when the disease attacks a person's ability to breathe. Infected individuals may have pain in the chest, experience coughing and have difficulty breathing after coming into contact with tularemia by breathing in dusts or aerosols containing the bacteria. Infections of this nature, if left untreated, can lead to the disease spreading into the bloodstream and lungs.

Kansas accounted for 11% or around 270 of all cases of rabbit fever, according to the CDC report. The majority of those infected with the disease began experiencing symptoms from May to September.

People can be treated with antibiotics if they are infected with rabbit fever. However, the CDC reports that no vaccine exists for the disease.

Officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a warning in the summer of 2024 regarding tularemia as one of many dangerous illnesses on the rise in the state. A case of rabbit fever caused a health scare at a Junction City animal shelter in late 2023 after a cat was found to be infected with the disease.

For more information on how to protect your animals from tularemia, check with the American Veterinary medical Association (AVMA). You can reach its website by clicking here.

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