29 cases of rabbit plague: 14 people infected
So far this year, 29 cases of animals infected with rabbit plague have been reported to the health authorities in the southwest (as of 9.11.2023). A total of 14 people had also been infected with the pathogen by the end of August. The sick or dead animals were reported in the cities of Karlsruhe and Freiburg as well as the districts of Rastatt, Neckar-Odenwaldkreis, Esslingen, Emmendingen, Böblingen, Main-Tauber-Kreis, Ravensburg, Sigmaringen, Bodenseekreis, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Rottweil and Konstanz, among others, as the Ministry of Agriculture in Stuttgart announced on request.
The notifiable disease, known as tularaemia, is mainly found in brown hares in the southwest. However, it can also occur in other animals, including birds. They die after a short illness.
Humans can also become infected with the pathogens that cause hare plague - for example when they touch sick or dead animals. However, the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person. The pathogen can cause diarrhea, aching limbs and vomiting, for example, but can also lead to severe cases.
In 2023, the health authorities had reported 14 cases by the end of August. Of these 14 infected people, at least 5 had to be hospitalized, explained a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Affairs in response to a written request. There have been no deaths.
Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans are called zoonoses. According to the Stuttgart Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office, hare plague has been occurring again in Germany since 2004, and increasingly in the southwest since 2016. The incidence of the disease in animals remained stable between 2019 and 2023. There was an average of 20 to 40 cases per year.
The notifiable disease, known as tularaemia, can affect various animals, including birds, besides brown hares, as mentioned earlier. Humans can contract the pathogens that cause hare plague through contact with sick or dead animals, highlighting the importance of animal disease awareness and precautions.
Source: www.dpa.com
