Long Island’s fourth tularemia case puts vets on alert

A fourth human tularemia case has been confirmed in Suffolk County on Long Island, drawing veterinary attention to a zoonosis that remains rare, but can move from wildlife to pets to people. Local coverage reported that the latest patient was bitten by her outdoor cat while administering medication, and that the cat later died, highlighting a transmission route veterinarians know well but many pet parents may not fully appreciate. (nbcnewyork.com)

The Long Island case is landing against a backdrop of sustained tick concern in Suffolk County. The county has built out tick surveillance and control efforts for years, including countywide pathogen surveillance and vector management programs. On the county’s tick-borne disease page, tularemia case counts show a recent upward drift: one human case in 2022, three in 2023, and four in 2024. While still low in absolute terms, that pattern helps explain why even a single additional case is getting attention. (suffolkcountyny.gov)

Tularemia is caused by Francisella tularensis, a highly infectious bacterium that can enter through the skin, eyes, mouth, or lungs. CDC says U.S. vectors include the dog tick, wood tick, and lone star tick, and that infection can also follow handling infected animals. For companion animal practice, cats deserve special attention: WOAH notes that domestic cats develop clinical illness more often than dogs, and CDC-published research on feline tularemia found that outdoor domestic cats were frequent vectors in endemic settings. (cdc.gov)

That matters because tularemia in small animal practice may first look like something else. ABCD feline guidance says tularemia should be on the differential list for cats with fever of unknown origin in endemic areas with tick exposure, and also for chronic subcutaneous infections or draining tracts. Cornell’s feline health guidance is blunter about prognosis, noting that in some cases, including tularemia, infected cats may die from the infection. Dogs appear less commonly affected clinically, but they can still bring ticks or infected animal tissues into close contact with people. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

There is also recent public health context for veterinary teams. A 2024 CDC MMWR report from Minnesota described increases in both human and animal tularemia and identified household and veterinary exposures tied to infected cats, including one pet parent advised to receive post-exposure prophylaxis after a scratch. Separately, CDC’s 2025 treatment recommendations emphasize that severe tularemia in people may warrant initial aminoglycoside-based therapy, with combination therapy considered in some severe cases. For clinicians on the veterinary side, the broader lesson is less about memorizing human regimens and more about early recognition, lab notification, exposure assessment, and fast referral when zoonotic risk is on the table. (cdc.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this Long Island case is a practical One Health story. Tularemia may be rare, but it sits at the intersection of tick ecology, outdoor cat behavior, occupational exposure, and client education. CDC-supported literature says veterinarians play a key role in helping pet parents reduce risk through appropriate tick prevention, safe tick removal, gloves when handling carcasses, avoiding close facial contact with hunting pets, and prompt care for sick animals. The same source advises notifying public health officials when tularemia is identified in a dog or cat so potential exposures among pet parents and veterinary staff can be assessed quickly. (stacks.cdc.gov)

On Long Island specifically, the case also reinforces that “rare” does not mean irrelevant. Suffolk County and regional tick resources continue to flag tularemia among the pathogens of concern, and Stony Brook experts have described tularemia as an occasional, but real, part of the local tick-borne disease mix. For clinics, that may translate into reviewing PPE practices for suspect zoonoses, refreshing staff protocols for bites and scratches from ill outdoor cats, and tightening conversations with pet parents about year-round tick prevention and limiting predation. (newswise.com)

What to watch: The next signals will likely be updated New York case counts, additional Suffolk County surveillance findings, and whether local health officials or referral centers issue more specific guidance as tick season data for 2025 and 2026 come into view. (suffolkcountyny.gov)