Tick related disease found in Teton County animal
A dead marmot, found in Crater Lake in the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Wilson this week, tested positive for tularemia. Tularemia is a disease that can be serious and potentially deadly for humans, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
Also known as “rabbit fever” or “deer fly fever,” tularemia frequently affects rabbits, hares, and rodents like marmots.
“People may become ill with tularemia after being bit by ticks, deer flies or horse flies,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH. “It can also be transmitted by handling infected animals, or through ingestion or contact with insufficiently cooked meat or untreated, contaminated water.”
Tick exposure is common it brushy and grassy areas or by handling certain animals. Harrist said that because of the lake location involved with the dead marmot, the health department is reminding people not to drink untreated water.
Tularemia and other diseases can be passed through contaminated water even if the water looks clean.
Steps to help avoid tularemia include:
Never touch a dead or sick animal and give wildlife their space. Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to see ticks crawling on clothing. Tuck pant legs into socks. Apply insect repellents such as those containing 20 percent or more DEET and/or picaradin. Upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, search self and children for ticks and remove if found. Check pets for ticks; use tick control products recommended by veterinarians.
Tularemia symptoms can include fever, swollen and painful lymph glands, inflamed eyes, sore throat, mouth sores, skin ulcers and diarrhea. If the bacteria are inhaled, symptoms can include sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and progressive weakness and pneumonia.
Other diseases passed by ticks include Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.
Harrist said anyone who becomes ill thinks they may have been exposed to tularemia should seek medical care.
You can find more details about the disease here.
