Tularemia or rabbit fever is an infectious disease affecting animals. The bacteria will get transmitted into humans when they come in contact with infected animals. The infection spreads easily by inhalation of spores, by eating uncooked meat or by drinking contaminated water. The disease causes high fever, headache and swelling of lymph nodes. If left untreated rabbit fever can become severe and cause death. It was Edward Francis when he was working in Tulare, California discovered that the fever can spread through bacteria and hence the name Tularemia was given.
Symptoms/Types :
There are different kinds of tularemia and each one produces different symptoms. Often the symptoms appear within 2-5 days of getting infected with bacteria. The bacterium will enter your body through skin contact or in rare cases they can be inhaled or eaten (uncooked food).
Tularemia Ulceroglandular :
This is the most common type of tularemia causing skin ulcer (at the site of infection), swollen lymph glands, fever, headache, chills, and fatigue.
Tularemia glandular :
The symptoms are the same as above but the affected person will not have skin ulcer.
Tularemia Oculoglandular :
Eyes are largely affected in this type causing red coloration of the eyes, swelling of eyes, whitish discharge from the eyes and eye pain. For some people ulcer may be formed inside the eyes.
Tularemia Oropharyngeal :