Taipei: Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday the first case of tularemia, also known as 'rabbit fever,' in nearly three years. The case involves a woman in her 70s from southern Taiwan who developed symptoms including fever and general weakness. Subsequent blood tests confirmed the presence of the tularemia pathogen. After a two-week hospitalization, her symptoms improved, and she was discharged. The source of her infection has yet to be identified.

According to Anadolu Agency, tularemia has been a designated infectious disease in Taiwan since 2007. The country has reported only three cases in that time: two were imported from the United States in 2011, and another local case was identified in 2021. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis and commonly occurs in wildlife such as rabbits, hares, voles, muskrats, beavers, and water rats. Even minimal exposure to the pathogen can result in illness.

Transmission of tularemia can occur through various means, including bites from ticks or deer flies, contact with infected animal tissue, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or inhalation of dust containing the pathogen. Importantly, the CDC noted that there have been no reports of human-to-human transmission of the disease.