Alarm, not panic, now frames Colorado’s latest health warning as a rare rabbit- and tick-linked illness is confirmed inside state lines. Health authorities say the pathogen, known as tularemia, has been detected in wildlife, triggering expanded testing of animals and environmental samples in several counties.
Public health officials argue the risk to most residents remains low, yet their playbook looks anything but casual, with enhanced surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and vector control folded into a coordinated response. The bacterium Francisella tularensis, which can spread through tick bites, contact with infected rabbits, or inhalation of contaminated dust, is classified as a Tier 1 select agent because of its high infectivity and potential for severe pneumonia and sepsis.
The sharper concern, experts concede, sits with hikers, hunters, and pet owners who share terrain with rabbits and ticks and may ignore early symptoms such as fever, skin ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes. Officials now urge residents to use insect repellent containing DEET, keep pets leashed and away from carcasses, wear gloves when handling soil or vegetation, and report die-offs of rabbits or rodents to local health departments.
