Rabbits are among the most common carriers of tularemia, hence the name rabbit fever. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Three confirmed cases of tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, have been reported in New York this year, health officials said Monday.
The cases are located in Suffolk County, N.Y. The disease causes symptoms that doctors warn can be more severe than Lyme disease.
Like Lyme disease, rabbit fever is spread through tick bites. Its symptoms include high fever, extreme fatigue, chills, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and gastrointestinal issues.
Earlier this year, 9-year-old John Detmer was diagnosed with tularemia after suffering a tick bite on his head. His symptoms lasted several weeks.
