A captive wild rabbit has tested positive for tularemia at a field trial facility in Butler County, near Morgantown. Kentucky health officials are planning to close the 240-acre facility.
The University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory tested the rabbit and confirmed the tularemia diagnosis. It was one of several eastern cottontail rabbits found dead last weekend in an approximately 80-acre pen used for field trials.
Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is contagious to people and pets, and can be fatal if left untreated. The disease is spread by ticks, deer flies, and infected animals. The disease is not spread from human to human. It mostly affects rabbits and rodents, including squirrels and groundhogs, and can become airborne near a carcass.
Health officials are encouraging people who spend time outdoors in Butler County to guard against exposure to the bacterial disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people use insect repellent, wear long pants and sleeves, quickly removing ticks, avoid drinking untreated surface water, and do not disturb dead animals.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, skin ulcers and enlarged lymph nodes. Anyone suspecting they have come into contact with the bacteria should seek medical care. If left untreated, it can affect multiple organ systems, including lungs, liver, spleen, and lymphatic system.
(Information from the Beech Tree News and LEX18.com was used in this article)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-600
