Tularemia
In the United States, ticks that transmit Tularemia to humans include the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (D. andersoni), and the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum).
Many other animals have also been known to become ill with Tularemia. Domestic cats are very susceptible to Tularemia and have been known to transmit the bacteria to humans.
Tularemia Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of Tularemia vary depending on how the bacteria enter the body. With illness ranging from mild to life-threatening. All forms are accompanied by fever, which can be as high as 104 °F.
Main forms of this disease include:
Ulceroglandular: This is the most common form of Tularemia and usually occurs following a tick or deer fly bite or after handing of an infected animal. A skin ulcer appears at the site where the bacteria entered the body, accompanied by swelling of regional lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin.
Glandular: Similar to ulceroglandular Tularemia but without an ulcer. Also generally acquired through the bite of an infected tick or deer fly or from handling sick or dead animals.
