It is caused by bacteria, which can life for 3 to 4 months in mud, water or dead animals. Humans can catch tularemia by handling infected animals or from bites by infected flies, mosquitoes or ticks. Most people become ill in either the summer or the winter. In the summer, the ticks, which carry tularemia, become more active. 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.