The state of Colorado is on course to have a record number of cases of tularemia this year. There have been 15 cases of tularemia (also known as rabbit fever) this year already, only five fewer cases than the record setting year of 1983.
This bacterial disease, as you might guess from the name, is spread by wild rabbits, although it also carried by rodents, birds, flies, and ticks. The rabbit population in Colorado has taken off this year because of the lush vegetation growing in the usually dryer state this year. In addition, the natural predators of rabbits, such as foxes, skunks, and hawks have had a population dip due to an outbreak of mange and West Nile fever.
Symptoms of tularemia are similar to those of the flu. Doctors in Colorado are being told to keep tularemia in mind with patients who have fever, chills, and headaches.
Homeowners are being told to be careful with yard work and gardening if they see rabbits in their area. They are also warned not to walk barefoot or wear sandals in areas where there are a lot of rabbits. Because tularemia is carried by insects, people also should wear insect repellent. Dog owners are being warned against letting their pets chase rabbits or rodents.
Greener conditions in Colorado have also led to a surge in two other diseases carried by small mammals: hantavirus and plague which are both carried by rodents. There have been five cases of hantavirus so far this year, with four of them being fatal. Colorado had six cases of hantavirus in all of last year.
Plague-- caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis--is not uncommon in the western and southwestern United States. Colorado had eight cases of plague last year, more than usual. This year, the state has had one case of plague and it killed a high school athlete. Plague can be cured by antibiotics if it is caught in time.
