LARIMER COUNTY – Local health officials confirm that a man has been hospitalized for tularemia. It is believed that he may have been exposed to the disease while mowing a property outside of Windsor.
The patient became sick with tularemia in July, according to the Larimer County Department of Health and the Environment, and was hospitalized in early August after two courses of antibiotic treatment offered no improvement.
He was released after several days and is expected to make a full recovery.
Tularemia was found in a Fort Collins rabbit in early July, and is suspected at South Table Mountain Park in Jefferson County.
Broomfield reported the first human case of the disease in Colorado in July 16.
Tularemia is a bacterial infection most frequently transmitted to people who have handled infected animals – especially rabbits, hares, beavers and muskrats. It is not considered contagious from person to person.
Symptoms include fever, score throat and swollen glands.
The health department recommends taking the following precautions to avoid tularemia infection:
Steps to prevent human tularemia infection
- Stay out of areas where wild rabbits or rodents are present. Never try to feed wildlife.
- Avoid handling any sick or dead animals (including mammals and birds).
- Wear an insect repellent effective against ticks, biting flies and mosquitoes if you are in areas where sick animals have been found. Repellents containing DEET are a good choice for humans.
- Wear shoes and do not go barefoot in an area where rabbits have died. The bacteria can persist in the environment for several months, so these precautions should be followed for a similar time period.
- Consider wearing a dust mask when mowing or blowing vegetation in areas where rabbit die-offs have occurred.
- Take steps to prevent your pets from becoming infected. They can carry the ticks or the bacteria and pass it on to you.
What to do if you see a dead animal
- If you suspect an animal might be sick, infectious, or has died of unknown causes, DO NOT TOUCH IT.
- If you find or observe more than one animal in the same area that has died or is sick, call your local health department.
If you need to remove a dead animal
- Apply an insect repellent against fleas and ticks prior to proceeding with the removal.
- Use a shovel and place the body in a plastic bag.
- If the animal is not needed for testing, dispose of it in an outdoor trash receptacle.
- Wash your hands immediately.
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