Tularemia cases rise in New York's Long Island

Health officials in Suffolk County, New York, have confirmed a fourth case of tularemia on Long Island, a rare bacterial disease also known as rabbit fever. This latest case brings the total number of reported infections in the region to four for 2026, following three cases in 2023, four in 2024, and six in 2025.

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The latest case is a tularemia infection. Although rare, the disease has been found in the region in recent years.

Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease is typically transmitted through the bite of infected insects like ticks or deer flies that have fed on infected animals such as wild rabbits, hares, or muskrats. Infection can also occur through direct handling of infected animal tissues, inhalation of contaminated dust or aerosols, or consumption of contaminated water.

The disease earned the nickname "rabbit fever" because hunters can contract it when skinning or cleaning infected rabbits. Symptoms vary depending on the route of infection, ranging from mild to life-threatening. Common early signs, appearing three to five days after exposure (or up to three weeks later), can mimic a severe flu, including sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, and fatigue.

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The disease can cause mild to life-threatening conditions depending on how the bacteria enter the body.

Dr. Zoe Weiss, Director of Clinical Microbiology at Tufts Medical Center, notes that while initial symptoms may resemble the flu, specific indicators can include a lesion or sore at the site of infection accompanied by swollen and painful lymph nodes in the surrounding area. Public health officials are monitoring the situation and advising caution.

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Early symptoms of tularemia can resemble a severe flu, such as sudden fever, chills, headache, body aches, and fatigue.