Anyone can get tularemia if they spend much time outdoors in areas where ticks can be found. Hunters are especially at high risk for infection. Tick bites are the most common way of spreading tularemia to people. Handling or eating rabbit meat that is not cooked well can also spread tularemia. Although it rarely results from the bite or scratch of an infected animal, tularemia can be spread from handling the contaminated skins or paws of animals.
Infection can also result from breathing dust containing the bacteria.
Person to person spread does not occur. Tularemia from a tick bite or by getting the bacteria in a cut or scratch on the skin usually causes a skin ulcer and swollen glands. Eating or drinking food or water, which contain the bacteria, may produce a throat infection, stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Breathing dust containing the bacteria may produce a pneumonia-like illness. Fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, chest pain, and coughing may also occur.