Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-11-08
Rabbit Fever.

Warning hunters and food handlers of
the danger of contracting tularemia. or to
give it its common name rabbit fever"
from handling infected game. DR.. r. H..
Riley, Director Of the Maryland State De-
partment of Health. said:
Because Of the possibility of infection
with the germs of tularemia from sick or
diseased rabbits. the opening of the rabbit
season brings to hunters. market men and
other food handlers. the need for special
precautions in shooting, skinning and in
preparing rabbits for the table or for any
other use. A disease corresponding to what
we now call "tularemia" or rabbit fever"
has been known to hunters and to market
men throughout the country for many
years. but 1t was not until 1910 that It's
cause and the method of transmission
from rabbit to rabbit and from rabbits to
human beings were studied by DR.. G. W.
Mccoy and definitely established, in 1919,
by DR.. Edward Francis. both of the u. S.
Public Health Service.
THE disease affects wild rabbits and
other animals, but particularly the wild
rabbits. The animals susceptible to tula-
remia include 10 addition to wild rabbits,
hares. squirrels. rats, field mice. the chip
munk, 0possum, wOodchuck. and others
Of the smaller animals. The infection
spreads from animal to animal through
the bite Of the rabbit tick. the wood tick,
and certain species Of fly. The insects
continue to be carriers of the infection
over long period and have been found
| to be q constant source of danger. The
disease has been found so far in the wild
q oh l.,
domestic rabbits raised in rabbitries.
"Tularen,ia Is transmitted to human
beings in two ways-through handling the
infected animal and by the bite Of the
! infected insect. The infection is usually
picked up by the hunter or food handler
during the hunting season in skinning the
animal. in preparing it for market or for
cooking. In the cases studied by DR..
Francis a considerable proportion were
due to the bite of infected insects. Two
Of the cases reported from the counties Of
Maryland, recently. occurred in boys who
had caught and skinned rabbit and had
cut it up for bait. The presence of the
disease in animals that are being skinned
or exposed for sale can be detected by a
characteristic speckled appearance Of the
liver and spleen which are dotted with
white or yellowish spots. ranging in size
from a pin point to one sixteenth Of an
inch In diameter.
Here is what the u. S. Public Health
Service says about the danger from the
wild rabbit and the ways by which it may
be avoided Keep your bare hand out Of
wild rabbit-one per cent Of them are
infected with tularemia. Rabbit meat
thoroughly cooked Is harmless for food,
because a temperature of 1873 degrees
Fahrenheit kills the injecting organism
rubber gloves must be worn by those who
must dress wild rabbits.
"'Beware Of the wild rabbit which the
dog or cat has caught. or which boy has
killed with club-it is probably a sick
rabbit. The hunter should not shoot his
rabbits at the point of his gun. Let him
be a sportsman and shoot them on the
run, at rs yards. say. and the chances will
be lessened that the rabbits he bags will
be sick with tularemia
For the last two years. tularemia has
been included among the diseases that
are repouable In Maryland. There were
II cases reported in the State in 1928. 6
In the counties and 5 in Baltimore City
with one death in Baltimore 9th. There
were probably other cases that were not
recognized as tularemia.