Prudence Island Rabbit Tests Positive For Tularemia

PORTSMOUTH, RI — A rabbit captured on the northwest coast of Prudence Island recently tested positive for a highly contagious bacterial illness, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said. Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, affects humans, pets and other small animals.

The New England cottontail rabbit was part of a protected population on Patience Island. It was captured in late January as part of restoration in the area and died in captivity Feb. 3, just before it was scheduled to be released back into the wild, the department said. The following day, it was necropsied and the tularemia diagnoses was confirmed March 3.

Tularemia is spread by biting flies, mosquitoes, ticks and contact with infected animals. It can also be spread by inhaling infected particles, and it only takes 10 to 50 particles to cause an infection, the department said. It is a very rare disease that is not known to spread person-to-person. Just one human case has been reported in the state since 2008.

Although it is treatable, tularemia can be fatal to small animals, pets and people if left untreated. Symptoms include fever, skin ulcers and enlarged lymph nodes.

The DEM encouraged residents to take steps to avoid insect bites on themselves and their pets while on Patience Island. Dog ticks, lone star ticks and wood ticks can all transit the bacteria.

The department's Tick Free Rhode Island campaign focuses on three key steps: repel, check and remove.

Repel

• Avoid heavily wooded or brushy areas with high grass and leaves. When in wooded areas, walk in the center of the trail and avoid contact with overgrowth and high grass.
• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside.
• Tuck pant legs into taller socks to keep ticks from crawling underneath clothing.
• Wear light-colored clothes to make ticks more visible.

Check

• Take a shower as soon as you come indoors if you have been in a grassy or wooded area.
• Do a full-body tick check using a mirror. Parents should check their children well for ticks, paying extra attention to crevices such as inside the ears, behind the knees or in the hair.
• Check pets well for ticks, since they can carry them into the house.

Remove

• If you find a tick on yourself, your child or pets, remove it using a pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upward to remove. If you do not have tweezers, use fingers with rubber gloves or a piece of tissue.