(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, )
A fatal disease has infected beavers, killing at least nine in Utah. However, humans have to be cautious, as the disease could also be deadly to our kind, according to officials.
Tularemia Kills Beavers, May Infect Humans
Tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, hare plague, and deer fly fever, can result in a variety of symptoms, including skin sores and enlarged glands when transmitted to humans. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) discovered nine beavers that perished from tularemia. The last known animal fatality linked to the illness occurred in 2017.
The bodies of the beavers were found across three counties -- Utah, Summit and Wasatch -- and examinations of three of the animals revealed that they had tularemia.
The high number of animals dying from the disease surprises local wildlife officials, even though it is widespread throughout most of the region.
Per Ginger Stout, a DWR veterinarian, it is uncommon to see this many animals die from it at once. However, the bacteria that causes this infection is known to be in the environment in many parts of Utah.
This is the first time the illness has claimed an animal's life in almost five years; the last instance was when a cottontail rabbit was discovered in the Utah town of Kanab.
If a person handles diseased animals while hunting or trapping, or if they are bitten by a tick or deerfly in the summer, they could contract the disease.
Although there are drugs to treat tularemia, less than 300 instances are documented in the US each year, and if the illness is not treated, it can be fatal.
Experts worry that a surge in animal mortality from the disease may indicate an increase in human cases as well.
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What Is Tularemia?
Tularemia is a disease brought on by the Francisella tularensis bacteria. Animals, particularly rodents, rabbits, and hares, are commonly affected by tularemia. With the exception of Hawaii, tularemia is often a disease in rural areas.
People usually contract the disease by being bitten by infected insects (deerflies and ticks are the most frequent), touching ill or dead animals that are infected, consuming contaminated food or water, or breathing in bacteria that is carried by air.
Tularemia is a common disease among animals. In the US, roughly 200 instances of tularemia in humans are recorded annually, and most occur in the western and south-central states.
The majority of cases take place in rural regions and are brought on by handling infected rodents, rabbits, or hares, or by tick and biting fly attacks. Inhaling airborne microorganisms and laboratory mishaps also led to cases.
People's signs and symptoms of tularemia vary depending on how they are exposed to the disease. Some possible symptoms are skin ulcers, painful and swollen lymph glands, inflammatory eyes, mouth sores, sore throats, diarrhea, or pneumonia.
When the bacteria are inhaled, the symptoms may include a sudden fever, chills, headache, sore muscles, joint discomfort, dry cough, and gradual weakening. Individuals with pneumonia may develop respiratory failure, bloody sputum, chest pain, and breathing difficulties.
Tularemia can be fatal if the patient does not receive the right antibiotics.
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