Department of Health Notes Increase in Tularemia Cases

A sharp increase in tularemia cases reported so far this year over what’s typical for the state is concerning officials at the Wyoming Department of Health. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details. 

To date, the Wyoming Department of Health has been notified of eight confirmed and suspected cases of tularemia The eight cases are from Sheridan, Campbell and Fremont counties. Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit Manager Clay Van Houten said Wyoming typically only sees two cases a year and having eight reports this early in the summer is alarming so they wanted to let people know about the increase. Van Houten added that this isn’t an illness with huge numbers, but it can be quite serious for the people who get sick and can potentially be life-threatening.

Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is a bacterial illness that frequently affects rabbits, hares and rodents, and has been associated with rabbit and rodent die-offs. Tularemia can spread to humans in a variety of ways that include skin contact with infected animals, particularly rabbits, hares and rodents; the bite of an infected tick; the bite of an infected deer fly; drinking contaminated water; breathing in contaminated dust particles, and mowing and brush-cutting in areas with deceased animals. 

The symptoms of tularemia can vary depending on how someone was exposed to the bacteria. They can include fever, swollen eyes, a skin ulcer, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, cough, chest pain and pneumonia. While tularemia can be treated with antibiotics, if it’s left untreated, infections can be serious and sometimes life-threatening. More information on tularemia can be found here.