Beyond Lyme: The Rise of Tularemia ("Rabbit Fever") on Long Island and How to Protect Your Yard

If you live on Long Island, checking for ticks is likely already part of your daily summer routine. However, a newly emerging threat on Long Island is reminding us that Lyme disease isn't the only illness these pests carry.

Recently, multiple Suffolk County families—including residents in Riverhead and Ridge—have come forward after being diagnosed with a rare, dangerous tick-borne illness known as Tularemia, or "Rabbit Fever." According to recent reports by News 12, a 9-year-old boy suffered for nearly a month with severe fevers, swollen glands, and fatigue before specialists finally identified the rare illness.

With three probable cases in Suffolk County this year alone, it’s time to take a closer look at what Tularemia is and how you can safeguard your property.

What is Tularemia? Tularemia is a bacterial infection that affects both animals and humans. According to Dr. Sharon Nachman of Stony Brook Children's Hospital, the disease is frequently transmitted to humans when a tick feeds on an infected wild rabbit and then subsequently bites a human.

Because wild rabbits are a common sight in Long Island backyards, the overlapping habitats of rabbits, ticks, and our families create the perfect storm for transmission.

What are the Symptoms? Because Tularemia is incredibly rare—the CDC notes only about 200 cases annually across the entire United States—it often goes undiagnosed for weeks. Symptoms can include:

• Sudden and prolonged fevers

• Swollen and painful lymph glands

• Severe body aches and exhaustion

• A skin ulcer at the site of the tick bite

How to Protect Your Family (The Organic Way) When Long Islanders hear about a new tick-borne disease, the immediate reaction is often to blanket the yard in harsh chemical pesticides. However, there is a better way.

At Organic Solutions Inc., we believe you shouldn't have to compromise the safety of your children, pets, or local wildlife to keep ticks at bay. Our proprietary organic tick-control formulas create an inhospitable barrier for ticks without leaving toxic residues on your grass.

Because wild rabbits are part of the transmission chain for Tularemia, using organic solutions ensures you aren't poisoning the local wildlife ecosystem while aggressively targeting the ticks hiding in your brush, tall grass, and garden beds.

Take Back Your Yard Today Don't wait for a tick bite to take action. Proactive property management is your first line of defense against Lyme, Tularemia, and other tick-borne diseases.

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Want to make sure your property is safe? Contact Organic Solutions Inc. today for a FREE Yard Evaluation.