Three suspected tularemia cases identified in Suffolk County, Long Island

The Suffolk County Department of Health announced three probable tularemia infections in the region, marking the highest yearly total since before 2014. One case involves nine-year-old John Detmer, who developed high fever and severe head and neck pain after a tick was removed from his scalp while playing in his Riverhead yard. His mother, Tracey Detmer, described his condition as extremely debilitating before an infectious-disease specialist confirmed the diagnosis.

Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, is spread by ticks, deer flies, and contact with infected rabbits, hares or rodents, and only 196 cases were recorded nationwide in 2023. The CDC notes that most cases respond to antibiotics but can be life-threatening, and it recommends using insect repellent, wearing gloves when handling animals, and avoiding mowing over dead wildlife. The report follows a recent confirmation of a rare Bourbon virus case in the same county. Authorities are awaiting laboratory results to verify the suspected cases.