Tularemia is a rare infectious disease. Also known as rabbit fever or deer fly fever, it typically attacks the skin, eyes, lymph nodes, and lungs. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Tularemia spreads to humans in several ways, including insect bites and direct exposure to an infected animal. Tularemia is highly contagious and potentially fatal, but can usually be treated effectively with specific antibiotics if diagnosed early.

Symptoms

Most people exposed to tularemia who become sick generally do so within three to five days, although it can take as long as 21 days. There are several types of tularemia, and which type you get depends on how and where the bacteria enter the body. Each type of tularemia has its own set of symptoms.

Ulceroglandular tularemia: This is the most common form of the disease. Signs and symptoms include:

• A skin ulcer that forms at the site of infection — usually from an insect or animal bite
• Swollen and painful lymph glands
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Exhaustion

Glandular tularemia: People with glandular tularemia have the same signs and symptoms of ulceroglandular tularemia, but without skin ulcers.

Oculoglandular tularemia: This form affects the eyes and may cause:

• Eye pain
• Eye redness
• Eye swelling and discharge
• An ulcer on the inside of the eyelid
• Sensitivity to light

Oropharyngeal tularemia: This form affects the mouth, throat, and digestive tract. Signs and symptoms include:

• Fever
• Throat pain
• Mouth ulcers
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Inflamed tonsils
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Pneumonic tularemia: This type of tularemia causes signs and symptoms typical of pneumonia:

• Dry cough
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing

Other forms of tularemia also can spread to the lungs.

Typhoidal tularemia: This rare and serious form of the disease usually causes:

• High fever and chills
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Enlarged spleen
• Enlarged liver
• Pneumonia

Prevention

There’s currently no vaccine available for tularemia. If you work in a high-risk occupation or live in an area where tularemia is present, these measures may help reduce your chance of infection:

• Protect yourself from insects. Tularemia in the United States is often related to a tick bite. In other parts of the world, tularemia is more commonly contracted through mosquito bites. If you spend time in tick- or mosquito-infested areas, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, and use a broad-brimmed hat to help protect your face and neck. Apply insect repellent in moderation, and wash it off at the end of the day. Check yourself for ticks often and remove them immediately if you find any. Be sure to check your pets too.
• Take care when gardening. Home gardeners and professional landscapers should consider wearing a face mask when excavating the soil, clearing weeds or brush, or mowing lawns.
• Handle animals carefully. If you hunt or handle wild rabbits or hares, wear gloves and protective goggles, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after touching the animal.
• Don’t eat undercooked meat. Cook all wild meat thoroughly, and avoid skinning or dressing any animal that appeared ill. Heat kills F. tularensis, so cook meat to the right temperature — a minimum of 160 F (71.1 C) for ground meat and game meat — to make it safe to eat. Poultry should be cooked to 165 F (73.8 C).
• Protect your pets. Livestock and pets can contract tularemia if they eat part of a diseased rabbit or are bitten by an infected tick. To help keep your pets safe, avoid letting them outside unsupervised, provide them with flea and tick protection, and don’t let them come in close contact with wild or dead animals.

Treatment

Tularemia can be effectively treated with antibiotics given by injection directly into a muscle or vein. The antibiotic gentamicin is typically the treatment of choice for tularemia. Streptomycin is also effective, but can be hard to get and may have more side effects than other antibiotics.

Depending on the type of tularemia being treated, doctors may prescribe oral antibiotics such as doxycycline (Oracea, Vibramycin, others) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro) instead.

You’ll also receive therapy for any complications such as meningitis or pneumonia. In general, you should be immune to tularemia after recovering from the disease, but some people may experience a recurrence or reinfection.

4 natural ways to help manage symptoms

• Peppermint: Drinking peppermint has been shown to greatly improve digestion, reduce pain and inflammation. This strong, no caffeine herb is recognized around the world for its ability to reduce stress. Peppermint has also been used as a natural internal cooling agent, making it a treasured remedy for reducing fevers in children and adults.
• Ginger: Ginger root has been used traditionally to improve a wide range of bodily functions. As a tea, Ginger has been proven to operate as a potent anti-inflammatory, soothing agent for digestive discomfort, and a tool to improve blood circulation and pressure.
• Echinacea: This amazing caffeine-free herb naturally helps fight inflammation as well as bacterial and viral infection and stimulates certain white blood cells. It is good for the immune system and the lymphatic system and is useful for allergies, colic, colds, flu, and other infectious illnesses
• Chamomile: The dried flowers of chamomile contain many terpenoids and flavonoids, which contribute to its medicinal properties. Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments, including hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids.