The Wilmington morning star., 1946-11-18
Doctor Says
RABBIT HUNTERS
RECEIVE WARNING
By WILLIAM A. O'BRIEN, NJ

Tularemla, ali infection Of wild
rabbits and other rodents, dos,
not occur in domestic rsbb.,
which are kept as pets or ~,
as food.
Hunters are especially liable i,
develop tularemia if they age care.
less in handling infected animal,
Tularemia is caused by a speci,,
germ which was discoveries j..
Tulare county, Calf, in gr0nna
squirrels dying from a plagueJl.
infection. Cases have been renor.
ed from all over the world ~,
no section Of our country is tr.s
from the disease.
After an incubation period .
two to 10 days, the disease rbevin'
in susceptible persons with fsTas
and chills, aches and pains, and
the development of an ulcer i,
the skin at a point Where n.
germs entered.
Patients often become i'll >,
work or while asleep with SWIM.
toms resembling influenza.
Many patients explain that Will.
hunting rabbits they picked up An
animal which did not try 10 90
away or one which was knockeI
over without much force. other
patients report that while skin.
ming wild rabbits they accidentally
cut a finger. Tularemia can how.
ever, enter the body through tha
unbroken skin.
Tularemia is also spread BY IN.
fected ticks. biting flies, fleas, and
other insects which have been
feeding on infected wild rabbit,
or other rodents. A scratch nv
the tooth of a cat which has eaten
a rabbit dead Of tularemia. h.,
been known to cause the disease
Eating insufficiently cooked wild
rabbit meat is also q possible
source Of the infection.
Tularemia may develop in one
OF several forms in the body, but
the commonest variety is an ulcer
OF the skin plus signs Of general
infection. If the germs get into
the eye, a severe c~onjunctiviti,
may follow and the glands drain.
Ing the region Of the infection are
often involved.
Tularemia of the internal organ,
can result in a disease resembling
pneumonia or meningitis.
Deaths occur in 2 to S per cent
or tularemia cases. Recent reports
that streptomycin is of value in
the treatment Of the disease are
highly welcome, if true, for no
specific treatment has heretofore
been known.
In convalescent cases, recover
is low. The patient Is tired for
a long time afterWard: sometimes
it requires six months to a year
for him to regain his strength.
Tularemia can be controlled
by the exercise Of greater care
in the handling of wild rabbits
and other rodents, for the disease
is not contagious from man to
man.
Butchers and profes sional skim
ners may be given injections Of a
special vaccine which will protect
them for about a year, and those
injections can be repeated. Lab
oratory workers should wear rub
Der gloves in handling wild rab.
bits.
Wild rabbits should be thor.
oughly cooked before being eat-
en-.
Deferring the opening Of the rab-
bit-hunting season until the disease
has spent itself in wild rabbits and
hares and until insect carriers
are inactive is another precaution
which helps control tularemia.
QUESTION:: | have halitoss
Does bad breath come from upset
stomach?
ANSWER: As a rule, it does not.
The usual causes are decay Oh
teeth, disease of the nose, throat
or sinuses, collections of food par
ticles around the teeth, the elm
nation Of aromatic substances
through the air from the blood
and acidosis.
I ~ ann