Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists are urging rabbit hunters and others to take precautions because tularemia has been diagnosed in a Yavapai County child, plus sick and dying rabbits have been observed north of Prescott. Tularemia, also called rabbit fever or deer fly fever, is a bacterial disease that can infect rabbits and other mammals. It is transmitted to humans primarily through the skinning and cleaning of game animals, but it can also be transmitted to humans through the bites of ticks and deer flies, particularly during the summer. A Williamson Valley child developed symptoms of tularemia in August after being bitten by a blood-feeding insect, presumably a deer fly.
Humans can also become infected when they eat insufficiently cooked game meat.
In rare cases, tularemia can result from the bites of cats, dogs and other carnivores that have recently fed on infected animals. You should take similar precautions when preparing rabbits for cooking, and you should be sure to cook the meat thoroughly before serving. Tularemia can be a severe disease, but it is curable with appropriate antibiotic therapy. If these symptoms appear within two to 10 days after skinning game or being bitten by deer flies, see your doctor immediately. Near record summer rains helped the high country fishing outlook for this fall in the White Mountains and Mogollon Rim areas, advised Arizona Game and Fish Department officials.