A case of rabbit fever was recently reported in North Rhine-Westphalia. This is a highly contagious disease that can also be dangerous for dogs and humans. Rabbit flu was diagnosed in a dead brown hare in the city of Aachen.
The disease can also be transmitted by other rodents, for example through bites or when working with agricultural products such as hay and grain if they have rodent droppings or carcasses. “Transmission via contaminated food or water is possible,” the Agency for Food Security (AGES) website states.
Rare in Austria
For example, dogs can encounter dead rodents while walking and become infected. If people have close contact with an infected animal, they can also become infected. The disease, which is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, occurs in the Northern Hemisphere but is rare in Germany and Austria. In Austria, 35 cases of human disease were reported in 2022, and last year so-called tularemia was confirmed in nine animals in brown hares.
Symptoms such as fatigue and fever
Possible symptoms in humans include chills, headache, body aches, fever, and painful swelling of the lymph nodes. A painless ulcer usually occurs at the point of contact. In dogs, symptoms can include fatigue, fever and loss of appetite.
The disease can be treated with antibiotics. A severe form is endangered by a species in North America. To prevent this, veterinarians recommend keeping dogs on a leash and away from wild rodents. Infected four-legged friends may move unusually and show no escape behavior.
People should also keep their distance from dead rabbits and rodents and inform the vet. When it comes to game dishes, it is important to ensure they are cooked and hunters must adhere to strict hygiene measures. AGES recommends handling dead hares and rabbits with gloves and wrapping them safely.
Source: Krone
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