Tularemia is a rare infectious disease that typically attacks the skin, eyes, lymph nodes and lungs. Also called "rabbit fever" or "deer fly fever", it's caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

The disease mainly affects mammals, especially rodents, rabbits and hares, although it can also infect birds, sheep, and domestic animals, such as dogs, cats and hamsters. Tularemia spreads to humans through several routes, including insect bites and direct exposure to an infected animal. Highly contagious and potentially fatal, tularemia usually can be treated effectively with specific antibiotics if diagnosed early.

In the United States, ticks that transmit tularemia to humans include the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), and the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum). Deer flies (Chrysops spp.) have also been shown to transmit tularemia in the western United States.

The following ticks are known to transmit Tularemia in humans:

  • Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum)
  • Wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
  • American Dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

Signs + Symptoms


  • Oropharyngeal: This form results from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Patients with oropharyngeal tularemia may have sore throat, mouth ulcers, tonsillitis, and swelling of lymph glands in the neck.
  • Typhoidal: This form is characterized by any combination of the general symptoms (without the localizing symptoms of other syndromes).


Tularemia can be difficult to diagnose. It is a rare disease, and the symptoms can be mistaken for other, more common, illnesses. For this reason, it is important to share with your health care provider any likely exposures, such as tick and deer fly bites, or contact with sick or dead animals.

Blood tests and cultures can help confirm the diagnosis. Antibiotics used to treat tularemia include streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, and ciprofloxacin. Treatment usually lasts 10 to 21 days depending on the stage of illness and the medication used. Although symptoms may last for several weeks, most patients completely recover.

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