Urgent warning to cat owners over re emergence of rare deadly disease- as cases TRIPLE in parts of the US READ MORE: How YOUR pet cat could be a major harborer of deadly diseases By Luke Andrews Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 18:05, 21 June 2024 | Updated: 18:07, 21 June 2024 e-mail 1 View comments Cat owners are being warned of the re emergence of a rare, deadly bacterial infection they can contract from their pet as cases in the United States have tripled. Officials in Minnesota have major concerns over the disease, called tularemia, after recording a three-fold surge in infections, with 21 cases in the state in 2023 compared to the average of seven.
And this year, they have already recorded as many. Cases are also on the rise nationwide, with the US recording a 60 percent increase in infections over the decade to 2019. Arkansas , the nation's hotspot, records 46 cases per year on average.
Experts say more contact with wild animals , including among pets, is behind the rise — but say more testing and awareness of the disease could also be driving the uptick. Felines are common carries of tularemia — also called rabbit fever — and can contract it when they catch wild animals like rabbits and mice. Cats may then spread the disease to their owners via bites or scratches — causing blisters and rashes that may lead to life-threatening infections like sepsis .
Cats can contract tularemia by coming into contact with infected rabbits, mice or other smal.
