Three probable cases of the rare “rabbit fever” have been reported in Suffolk County, health officials have revealed.
The Suffolk County Department of Health (SCDHS) announced the potential cases of tularemia — a bacterial disease spread through tick and deer fly bites, as well as through infected rabbits, hares and rodents — adding that it may take weeks for the cases to be confirmed.
“Confirmation of a tularemia diagnosis requires a combination of laboratory testing and fulfillment of specific clinical or epidemiologic criteria,” the department told ABC7.
One victim of “rabbit fever” is nine-year-old John Detmer — who was sickened after playing in his Riverhead yard that doubles as a haven for wild rabbits.
“You feel terrible… He’d be laying there crying at nighttime and like, there’s nothing you can do. You feel terrible,” Tracey Detmer told the outlet.
“He was sick. He was truly so sick.”
John became unwell in late April after his mom pulled a tick off his head — despite the child never touching any of the wild rabbits.
He suffered severe head and neck pain, along with a 10-day fever.
It took multiple doctor visits before an infectious disease specialist diagnosed John with the rare disease also known as “rabbit fever.”
Just 196 cases were reported in the US in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — adding that the illness more commonly occurs during May through September.
Suffolk County reported four cases in 2024, which is the highest number since before 2014, data shows.
Fortunately, most tularemia infections are treatable with antibiotics — but it can be life-threatening.
The CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing gloves when handling sick or dead animals and avoiding mowing over dead animals to prevent the illness.
The news comes just days after an even rarer and untreatable tick-borne virus was confirmed in Suffolk County.
Michael Larkin, 67, contracted Bourbon virus after working outdoors back in 2021.
It took years for the diagnosis to come through — Bourbon virus has symptoms similar to other tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease, but there are no preventive vaccines or cures for the disease.
