Tularemia — a potentially serious bacterial disease confirmed four times in Suffolk County this year — is rare, but far from unheard of, according to health officials.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, the commissioner of Suffolk County's Department of Health Services, said there were six confirmed cases of tularemia — also known as “rabbit fever,” and potentially spread through ticks to humans and other mammals — in Suffolk in 2025. There were four in 2024 and three in 2023.
But in New York City, tularemia is even rarer. There have been only 10 human cases of the disease since 2000, and some were detected in people who had traveled to areas where the disease is endemic, according to the city health department. The most recent two cases confirmed in the city were in 2024.
Department spokesperson Chantal Gomez said that while the city health department monitors for tularemia and the bacteria that causes it through its human and animal disease surveillance systems, it’s never been found in ticks in New York City.
Tularemia is an infection caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. It primarily affects wild animals like rabbits, hares and rodents, but can be contracted by humans in several ways, including through tick and deer fly bites, or skin contact with infected animals.
Less commonly, it can spread through drinking contaminated water or inhaling contaminated landscaping dust, according to health officials.
Symptoms of tularemia vary depending on where the bacteria enter the body, according to the New York State Department of Health’s fact sheet on the disease. If it enters through the skin, tularemia can cause lesions and swollen glands. Ingesting the bacteria could cause a throat infection, intestinal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Inhaling it may cause a fever and pneumonia-like illness.
Left untreated, tularemia can spread to the lungs and cause pneumonia. Symptoms typically appear three to five days after exposure, but can occur as early as one day or as late as 21 days, according to the state health department.
While anyone can get tularemia, people who spend a lot of time outdoors, like campers, gardeners, farmers, and hunters, or children who play outside, are at higher risk, according to Stony Brook Medicine Health Hub.
According to the state health department, tularemia is effectively treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline. To prevent the spread, experts suggest using an EPA-registered insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time outdoors. They say you should check yourself, children and pets for ticks after outdoor activities, and remove ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers.
Health officials also advise wearing gloves when handling animals and cooking game meat thoroughly before eating. Please keep in mind next time you go rabbit hunting on Long Island.
