Disease-killing beavers in Utah ‘could spread to people,’ officials warn
A killer disease is infecting beavers across Utah that experts warn could become life-threatening to humans.
The disease, called tularemia, is also known as rabbit fever, hare plague and deerfly fever, which can cause sores on the skin and swollen glands, among other symptoms if passed to a human.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has found the remains of nine beavers that died of tularemia, shocking experts as the last animal death linked to the disease occurred in 2017.
The disease is usually transmitted by a tick or deer fly bite, by coming into direct contact with the blood of infected animals, by drinking contaminated water or ingesting undercooked rabbit meat from an infected animal.
Nine beavers were found dead in three Utah counties, and tests showed they had contracted rabbit fever, also called tularemia.
Symptoms of tularemia (pictured) include skin ulcers, swollen glands and can escalate to coughing up blood and fever above 103 degrees Fahrenheit
The beaver carcasses were found in three counties, including Utah, Summit and Wasatch, and tests on three of the animals came back positive for tularemia.
Although the disease occurs in much of the area, what is surprising to local conservationists is that more and more animals are dying from it.
“The bacteria causing this infection are known to be present in the environment in many parts of Utah; However, it is unusual to see so many animals die from it at once,” said DWR veterinarian Ginger Stout.
This is the first time the disease has killed an animal in more than five years. The last time it was reported was when a cottontail was found in the Kanab area of Utah.
People can be exposed to the disease if they get a tick or deer fly bite in the summer or if they handle the infected animals they harvest during the hunting and trapping seasons.
The beavers were found in Summit, Wasatch and Utah counties, marking the first time an animal has been killed by the disease since 2017.
Tularemia can spread to people through deer flies or tick bites and can be fatal if left untreated.
Fewer than 300 cases of tularemia infections are reported in the U.S. each year, and while there are antibiotics to treat the disease, it can become fatal if left unchecked.
Experts are concerned that the increased number of animal deaths due to the disease could mean that the number of cases could rise.
This is not the first time the disease has been on the rise, as in 2023 study by Texas A&M University revealed that tularemia increased between 2011 and 2019, with 1,984 cases reported during that time.
Tularemia is a type of bacteria that is consumed by the cells of your immune system when it enters the body, and although the cells normally destroy bacteria, it causes a multiplication scenario instead.
The bacteria multiply inside the cells before destroying them and spreading through the rest of your body, similar to how a poison drips through the bloodstream.
It takes about three to five days for symptoms to appear after you are exposed, but in some people it can take up to two weeks.
Symptoms can escalate dramatically to fever of 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, coughing up blood, severe abdominal pain, and hypoxia-bluish skin, nails, or lips.
“There are concerns about the potential for tick- or fly-borne diseases, so it is advised to take necessary precautions by wearing protective clothing, using appropriate insect repellents and checking for ticks after being in brushy areas,” said Naughty.