Tularemia is a disease of animals and humans caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Rabbits, hares, and rodents are especially susceptible and often die in large numbers during outbreaks.
F. tularensis bacteria can be transmitted to humans via the skin when handling infected animal tissue. In particular, this can occur when hunting or skinning infected rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs and other rodents.
Tularemia can be difficult to diagnose. It is a rare disease, and the symptoms can be mistaken for other, more common, illnesses. For this reason, it is important to share with your health care provider any likely exposures, such as tick and deer fly bites, or contact with sick or dead animals.
