First Case Of Rabbit Fever Hits Mesa County

NOTE: If left untreated, this is a DEADLY disease

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. The valley has got the fever – and not in a good way.

According to the Mesa County Health Department, the first case of Rabbit Fever, also known as Tularemia has been confirmed in Mesa County.

“We had an alert citizen notice that several rabbits had died on her property in the last couple of weeks,” said Regional Epidemiologist Thomas Orr. “She had a fresh carcass and we sent it for testing.”

The state of Colorado saw 16 human cases of rabbit fever in 2014, and there have been 15 already this year.

“In the past we’ve seen plague activity so animal die-offs are a good thing to let the health department know about,” said Orr.

Don’t let the name fool you – not just rabbits carry the disease, many animals, like rodents, squirrels and even deer can be infected. Your pets are especially susceptible.

Orr says it can be transmitted through flea or tick bites, feeding, eating, or touching wildlife.

“Use gloves to pick it up or use your shovel and then bury it deep enough that other wildlife isn’t digging it out,” said Orr. “Or, double bag it and throw it in the trash.

Orr adds that if you have a lot of wildlife on your property or crossing your property, take due precautions when you’re moving a lot of dirt because the bacteria can persist in the soil and can be dangerous to breathe in.

Hiker Jodi Allgood says despite the new discovery, she’s not worried about catching it.

“When the dogs are with us, we don’t let them chase rabbits obviously, but it’s not something I think about and we have not altered our hiking habits.”

Symptoms of rabbit fever are swollen glands, chest pain or dry cough, high fever, and skin ulcers where you may have been bit by a flea or tick.

The disease is treatable with antibiotics, but left untreated, can be deadly.