Case of 'rabbit fever' reported in New York. Here's what to know

New York health officials have confirmed a fourth Long Island case of tularemia, a rare bacterial illness also known as “rabbit fever.” Dr. Gregson Pigott of Suffolk County Department of Health Services said the latest patient has tularemia and that the county has seen multiple cases in recent years, including three in 2023, four in 2024, and six in 2025. Tularemia is caused by Francisella tularensis and is typically spread through tick bites and deer fly bites after those insects feed on infected animals. It generally does not spread person to person, but humans can be infected via contaminated animal tissue handling, inhaled dust or aerosols, or contaminated water. Symptoms vary, but fever can reach 104°F.