Rabbit Fever AKA Tularemia

Just north of my place--- up in Mesa County, that's where Grand Junction Co. is ---they have an outbreak of Rabbit Fever.
And I choose to post this here in the survival threads because it effects many of you who plan on trapping small game.

Rabbit fever, or tularemia, can spread to human and cause life-threatening fever.

Two people in northern Colorado have been diagnosed with rabbit fever this summer. One was in Larimer County, and the other in Broomfield. The disease has also been blamed for rabbit die-offs in Jefferson County.

Tularemia is commonly transmitted by people handling infected rabbits, hares, beavers and muskrats. It can also remain in animal feces and urine for up to a month.

From 9 news

and I'll post a quick fact sheet PDF... but here the important part.

How can I protect myself
from tularemia?
Avoid contact with wildlife,
especially sick animals. Do not handle
dead wildlife without gloves. Wash
your hands after touching any animal
and especially before you eat. When
outside, wear insect repellents that
contain DEET. Cook all meats and
foods thoroughly. Wash fruits and
vegetables before eating them. Only
drink water from a safe source.

Read the whole things here

Now I know many of you are thinking... Doesn't effect me, I don't live in Colorado!
but Rabbit Fever outbreaks can happen anywhere.
From Wiki

From May to October 2000, an outbreak of tularemia in Martha's Vineyard resulted in one fatality.
In 2005 an outbreak occurred in Germany
In August 2009, a Swedish tourist was bitten by an unidentified insect at Point Grey, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
In Jan 2011, researchers searching for brucellosis among feral hog populations in Texas discovered widespread tularemia infection.

Why did you know that (1715 BC and in 1075 BC) tularemia has the honor of being the first known recorded agent of biological warfare!

Well it's true... and nasty stuff...

Treatment is through the use of antibiotics. The antibiotics chosen for the individual will depend on how far the disease has progressed and how early it is diagnosed. Diagnosis is through the collection of blood or saliva that is tested for the bacterium.

And you don't need to touch dead or infected animals or their dropping's to get it...their bacteria can infect drinking water, as in pools ponds and you can get it from other animals who hunt rodents as their predations species... ie, Foxes and dogs...

In my part of the world we have this long standing rule... Don't hunt rabbits until after the second snowfall... plague is kind of common out west, normally you get it from their fleas... Our second snowfall rule is to give those nasty ticks and fleas time to die off... making wild rabbits safe to handle.

I know that's not something a survivalist who plans on trapping these little guys as their food source wants to hear...
But hey... cant' say I didn't warn ya, right...

so basically, wash hands.

thank you for the information, didn't even know this thing exist!

in time of emergency maybe better go FISHING!

a reply to: demus

well it's a bit more than that... infected wee-beasties aren't safe to eat no matter how well you cook the meat.
and it can spread from wildlife to livestock pretty easily too.

But yeah your right if you notice a rabbit die off where you are... your better off fishing.

a reply to: HardCorps

how widespread is it, I saw you mentioned some outbreaks, is the disease present wherever rabbits are?

"In my part of the world we have this long standing rule... Don't hunt rabbits until after the second snowfall... plague is kind of common out west, normally you get it from their fleas... Our second snowfall rule is to give those nasty ticks and fleas time to die off... making wild rabbits safe to handle. "
As tasty and tempting as rabbits are, I follow the same rule.
Tularemia is not a pretty thing

So we should avoid Beezzer and Wrabbit as they might be dangerous?

originally posted by: demus
a reply to: HardCorps

how widespread is it, I saw you mentioned some outbreaks, is the disease present wherever rabbits are?

No, it's not just confined to rabbits
Missing Squirrels story
and as far as I know the only reported outbreaks in the US so far this year are here in Colorado.

I don't care for rabbit that much.

But the fact that squirrels can contract it too, well that bothers me because I like eating squirrels.

a reply to: HardCorps

Treatment is through the use of antibiotics. The antibiotics chosen for the individual will depend on how far the disease has progressed and how early it is diagnosed. Diagnosis is through the collection of blood or saliva that is tested for the bacterium.

That`s why you should have Fish Mox in your BOB :

www.fishmoxfishflex.com...

Im calling a mod and having Beezzer and Wrabbit put in quarentine asap, dont need my computer getting a fever I actually did read about this in another thread on ATS maybe a week ago or at least something very similar.

a reply to: butcherguy

Squirrels are very nutritious. nutritiondata.self.com...

That's because the word nutritious has the word nut in it and squirrels eat nuts.

I've always wondered how to tell if a rabbit is okay to eat.
Mr Wigs says their livers have spots - is that accurate?

I'm really reluctant to eat wild-caught/shot things...
although that's probably stupid, as I'm learning that grocery store food isn't guaranteed to be safe and sound anyway.
Just that I wasn't brought up in a hunting family.

a reply to: HardCorps
In my day, half a century ago, we hunters were told to wear rubber gloves when cleaning (skinning) the rabbit. And, of course, to completely cook it. But I see that Wikipedia says that inhaling the disease can happen as one skins the carcase.