FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials suspect that a man who became sick after skinning a hare has been infected with tularemia, a bacterial infection known as rabbit fever.
Tulameria is spread by ticks that primarily live on hares. It can be spread to humans who handle hares, dogs or cats that have come into contact with infected ticks, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (https://bit.ly/1C1ud7Z ).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, human tularemia cases in the U.S. have significantly decreased since the 1950s. Between 1990 and 2013, there were fewer than 200 cases reported.
Human cases of tularemia spiked this summer in Colorado with 15 instances reported there this year. New Mexico has also identified human cases of the virus this year.
Fish and Game officials advise Alaska residents to protect themselves by keeping their animals away from hares. The disease can be spread through a pet’s saliva, even before a pet appears sick. Dogs and cats can be treated with a product that kills ticks within 24 hours.
In humans, tularemia usually causes a fever. Other symptoms include a skin ulcer at the site of the infection and swollen lymph glands. It can be fatal if untreated.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, https://www.newsminer.com
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