What is rabbit fever: America is worried about a new fever. Its name is Tularemia. It is commonly called Rabbit Fever. In the last few days, the number of people suffering from Rabbit Fever in America has increased by 56 percent. This is a very rare disease. Usually it affects children between 5 and 9 years of age or the elderly. Rabbit fever is spread by a very dangerous bacteria which has been placed in the Tier 1 Select Agent category. Placing it in this category means that it is very dangerous and poses a great risk.

What causes Rabbit Fever
According to the news, rabbit fever is caused by tularemia bacteria and can infect animals and humans. Rabbits, wild rabbits and rats are more affected by this disease. People can get infected in many ways. For example, if a tick or deer fly bites and gets infected, then both the fly and the animal can infect humans. Apart from this, the infection can also spread by drinking contaminated water, inhaling contaminated aerosols or agricultural and landscaping dust and by contact in the laboratory.

Symptoms and signs of rabbit fever
The disease can be mild or severe. High-grade fever is a common symptom of all types of the disease. The symptoms and signs of tularemia can depend on how the bacteria enters the body. Some of its symptoms are as follows.

Skin lesions
The most common symptom seen after touching an infected animal is skin lesions at the site of infection. It attacks the sites where the bacteria entered the body. These lesions are accompanied by swelling of regional lymph nodes, usually in the armpits or groin. This is called ulceroglandular tularemia. Another form that does not have lesions is called glandular tularemia.

Irritation and swelling in the eyes
This form is called oculoglandular and occurs when the bacteria enters through the eye. A person can get it from being bitten by infected animals or coming into contact with their eyes. Its symptoms include irritation and swelling in the eyes, and swelling of the lymph glands in front of the ears.

Sore throat, mouth sores
Patients with oropharyngeal tularemia may experience sore throat, mouth sores, tonsillitis, and swelling of the lymph glands in the neck.

Respiratory tularemia
is the most severe form of the infection, with coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. It occurs when a person inhales dust or aerosols containing the bacteria. It can also occur when other forms of tularemia are left untreated and the bacteria spread to the lungs through the bloodstream.

How can you survive the infection

• Try to avoid fly bites.
• Covering the body by wearing long sleeves and long pants keeps ticks and deer flies away.
• Remove attached ticks immediately with fine claws.
• Do not consume unpurified surface water.
• Wear a mask while mowing lawns and other similar activities to avoid breathing in bacteria
• so that the risk can be reduced.
• Wear gloves when handling rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs and other rodents.
• Eat meat only after cooking it thoroughly.
• Vaccination for tularemia is not yet available in the US. The disease is treatable with antibiotics, and its mortality rate is usually less than 2 percent. However, it can be as high as 24 percent.