Viruses & Infections
Tularemia
A bacterial infection acquired from handling wild rabbits or through insect bites, causing prolonged high fever, ulceration, and swollen lymph nodes.
Also known as: Rabbit Fever, Deer Fly Disease, ulcer (definition: open sore in tissue lining)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Francisella tularensis bacteria; Most common: cutting oneself while skinning/dressing infected wild rabbits or ground squirrels (87% of cases); Deer fly bites and other blood-sucking insects.
First thing to try: See a physician — diagnosis confirmed by blood test or skin test
See a doctor if: Promptly if tularemia is suspected, especially after handling wild rabbits or insect bites in endemic areas.
🙏 Begin with prayer
Prayer is the first remedy, not the last resort. Whether you are facing this yourself, caring for someone who is, or simply reading to understand — here is a simple prayer you are welcome to make your own, in your name or in theirs:
Lord, this fever and these sores from a tick or a rabbit's touch have left me weary and uneasy. Give me clear discernment and effective treatment, and give my body strength through the prolonged fever. Grant patience for a slow recovery, and bless the rest and care surrounding me. Thank You for medicine suited exactly to what troubles me, and for the means to use it well. In Jesus' name, Amen.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”— Psalm 103:2-3
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Francisella tularensis bacteria
- Most common: cutting oneself while skinning/dressing infected wild rabbits or ground squirrels (87% of cases)
- Deer fly bites and other blood-sucking insects
- Bite from an infected animal (usually wild rabbits)
- Sputum samples are highly contagious — lab should be warned
Change what you can
- See a physician — diagnosis confirmed by blood test or skin test
- Follow Fevers protocol: rest, hydrationGiving your body enough water to work well. More →, nutritious diet
- Antibiotic herbs: echinacea, garlic
- Do NOT lance swollen lymph nodes
- Inform laboratory of suspected tularemia before submitting samples — sputum is highly contagious
🌿 Overview
Tularemia is caused by Francisella tularensis. Today, 87% of cases result from cutting oneself while skinning infected wild rabbits or ground squirrels. It can also be transmitted by deer flies and other blood-sucking insects. Though usually not fatal, recovery is slow and convalescence can last months.
Tularemia is a bacterial infection usually caught from handling infected wild animals (especially rabbits) or through insect bites, producing high fever, chills, body aches, and often a skin ulcer with swollen lymph nodes near the site of infection. It is uncommon but can be serious if not treated.
It responds well to prompt antibiotics, so it is not a condition for home management; anyone who becomes feverish after handling wild game or sustaining insect bites in endemic areas should seek medical care and mention the exposure. The natural emphasis is preventive — wearing gloves when handling wild animals, cooking game thoroughly, using insect protection, and avoiding contaminated water — with rest, fluids, and good nutrition supporting the body during proper treatment.
Common signs
- Local ulceration at the site of infection
- Chills, headache, prostration, and general pains appearing 1–7 days after infection
- High fever with recurring chills and drenching sweats
- Shallow, persistent ulcer at the original wound or bite site
- Swollen and painful lymph nodes draining the affected area
- Fever lasting 3–4 weeks if untreated
- Prolonged physical and mental depression during convalescence
🌿 Assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
Prevention; does not treat established infection. Never lance swollen lymph nodes.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Most cases come from cuts while dressing infected wild rabbits; gloves and care remove that route of infection.
- Wear gloves when skinning or dressing wild rabbits or ground squirrels.
- Cook wild game thoroughly before eating.
- Use insect repellent against deer flies and ticks in endemic areas.
- Wash hands well after any contact with wild animals.
During handling · Every time
Caution: Do not lance or squeeze swollen lymph nodes. Warn any lab of suspected tularemia — samples are highly contagious.
Comments & experiences ▾
Rest, fluids, and a nourishing diet support recovery while prescribed antibiotics treat the infection.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Tepid sponging sheds excess heat and a warm pack encourages perspiration; both support — never replace — the body's own fight and any prescribed treatment.
- Rest in bed in a cool, well-aired room.
- Sponge the face, neck, arms, and legs with tepid water and let the skin air-dry to draw off heat.
- If chilled, switch to a warm covering and a warm drink to bring on a gentle sweat, then dry off and rest.
- Drink small amounts of water steadily through the day to replace fluids lost to fever.
15-20 minutes per sponging · Several times a day as needed
Caution: Use tepid, never ice-cold, water — a cold shock can cause shivering that raises the temperature. Stop and seek care for a very high fever, confusion, or a fever that climbs despite care.
Comments & experiences ▾
Echinacea and garlic as gentle immune support alongside antibiotics.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: These traditional herbs are used to encourage the body's own defenses; they assist recovery but do not substitute for the antibiotics or antivirals a serious infection needs.
- Steep echinacea as a tea, or take it as directed on the label.
- Take garlic with the tea — a crushed raw clove in a little honey, or capsules.
- Sip warm, and rest while the body works.
- Keep up generous fluids throughout.
A warm cup · 2-3 times a day during illness
Caution: Echinacea is not advised for people with autoimmune disease or known allergy to the daisy family. Raw garlic in quantity can upset the stomach; take with food. Herbs are supportive only — they are not a treatment for the infection itself.
Comments & experiences ▾
★ = Remy Recommended — hover the star to see why.
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Promptly if tularemia is suspected, especially after handling wild rabbits or insect bites in endemic areas.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your tularemia — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Clean whole-food diet
- Plenty of water
- Garlic and immune-supporting foods
Go easy on
- Sugar
- Processed food
- Alcohol
A clean diet supports faster recovery from this prolonged illness.
⚖️ Good to know
- Always wear gloves when handling wild rabbits or rodents
- Do NOT skin or field-dress rabbits that appear sick
- Cook rabbit and rodent meat thoroughly
- Do NOT lance buboes/swollen lymph nodes — this spreads infection
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Tularemia (rabbit/tick-borne bacterial infection) is treated with antibiotics.
Commonly offered
- Antibiotics (streptomycin, gentamicin, or doxycycline)–
- Supportive care–
- Early treatment for best recovery–
- Prevention: protect against ticks and handling sick animals–
Worth knowing
- Fever with an ulcer or swollen glands after animal/tick exposure needs evaluation.
- Wear gloves handling wild animals; avoid sick wildlife.
- Prompt antibiotics work well.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
🌿 Deeper natural detail
Curated links coming for this one.
🩺 The conventional view
💬 Ask Remy about Tularemia
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