Taiwan records first domestic 'rabbit fever' case since 2022
Taiwan reported its first case of tularemia, also known as "rabbit fever," in nearly three years on Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The patient is a woman in her 70s from southern Taiwan, who has multiple chronic health conditions, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
She developed a fever and general weakness, and blood tests detected the tularemia pathogen. Further testing confirmed the diagnosis. Her symptoms improved during a two-week hospital stay, and she was later discharged, per the CDC.
The source of infection remains unknown. This is the first confirmed domestic tularemia case since 2022. Since the disease was designated a Category 3 infectious disease in 2007, Taiwan has reported three cases: two imported from the US in 2011 and a local case in 2021.
CDC epidemic prevention physician Lin Yong-qing (林詠青) said the woman had chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, and liver disease. She primarily stayed at home, rarely went out, and had no recent contact with animals or outdoor activities.
Health authorities have disinfected her home and the surrounding area and notified the hospital for laboratory disinfection. Tularemia, caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, occurs in wildlife such as rabbits, hares, voles, muskrats, beavers, and water rats. Even low levels of the pathogen can cause illness.
The incubation period is usually three to five days but can extend to 14. The disease can be transmitted through bites from ticks or deer flies, contact with infected animal tissue, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or inhalation of dust containing the pathogen.
Symptoms vary depending on the route of infection. Inhalation of a more virulent strain can have a mortality rate of 30%–60% and is considered a potential biological warfare agent.
The CDC said there have been no reports of human-to-human transmission. Risk groups include laboratory workers and people engaged in outdoor activities, as tularemia is endemic to North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
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