Rabbit found in Lafayette tested positive for tularemia – Colorado Hometown Weekly

A rabbit in Lafayette has tested positive for tularemia, officials said Friday.

The animal was found along the 4900 block of 95th Street, according to Boulder County Health officials.

Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis and is usually found in animals, especially rabbits, rodents and hares.

Symptoms in humans include skin ulcers, swollen and sore lymph nodes, inflamed eyes, sore throat, oral ulcers and more. Symptoms may also include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, dry cough, breathing difficulties and more.

Tularemia can be treated if it is detected at an early stage, officials said.

People can become infected with tularaemia by biting infected insects, most commonly ticks and deer flies, or by skin contact with infected animal tissues.

Bacteria can also be inhaled when an infected animal is broken into small particles and spreads in the air, for example when the infected carcass is mown.

"It's always important to avoid contact with wild animals because of the risk of many diseases," said Lane Drager, coordinator of the Boulder County Public Health Consumer Protection Program, in a statement. "Although tularemia is rare, it remains a risk, especially if we consider the number of wild rabbits in our communities."

Tularemia was diagnosed in five people in Colorado in 2019. Up to now, three rabbits have been tested positive in this state.

Officials said that no resident had been in contact with the animal at Lafayette, but that a resident dog had done so. Officials stated that the resident had taken appropriate measures to recover the rabbit.

The officials recommend the following precautions:

• Stay out of areas inhabited by wild rabbits and rodents. If you have to enter areas frequented by wild animals, always carry an insect repellent containing DEET.
• Prevent your animals from hunting or eating wild rodents or rabbits.
• Avoid contact with wild rabbits and rodents, including squirrels; do not feed them or handle them.
• Never touch sick or dead animals with your bare hands. If an animal needs to be moved, place it in a garbage bag with the help of a long handled shovel and place it in a trash can on the outside.
• Do not drink unpurified water from streams or lakes; prevent your pets from doing the same.
• Do not mow animal carcasses and consider using a dust mask when landscaping.
• Avoid ticks. The best protection for pets, especially cats, is to keep them indoors. If you are outdoors with pets, keep them away from heavily wooded areas, which are an ideal habitat for ticks.
• Consult a health care provider if you become ill with high fever and / or swollen lymph nodes.
• Contact a veterinarian if your pet gets sick with high fever and / or swollen lymph nodes.

For more information on tularemia, visit cdc.gov/tularemia or boco.org/Tularemia. You can also call the Boulder County Public Health Department at 303.441.1564. To report rabbit wasting, call 303.441.1564.