Riverhead woman gets 'rabbit fever' from cat bite, doctor says - Newsday
A senior citizen in Riverhead, New York, is recovering from tularemia, a rare disease known as rabbit fever, contracted after being bitten by her cat. Health officials note that the disease can be transmitted by ticks and infected small mammals.
Why it matters
This case serves as a public health reminder about the risks of zoonotic diseases and the importance of monitoring pets that spend time outdoors.
Lone star ticks, like these at a Suffolk County Health Department lab, can carry tularemia. Credit: Randee Daddona
A Riverhead woman is being treated for tularemia, the rare disease known as rabbit fever, after being bitten by her cat, an infectious disease doctor at Peconic Bay Medical Center said Wednesday.
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services confirmed Wednesday there have been four cases to date but would not say whether this case was one of them.
Tularemia can be transmitted to people by ticks and flies from sick wild rabbits, rodents and other small mammals. Outside cats can be infected by ticks or sick animals.
Dr. Michael Huang, chief of infectious diseases at Peconic Bay Medical Center, said the woman, who is described as a senior citizen, came into the emergency department with a cat bite several days ago.
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