Rabbit Fever Alert
Nine-Year-Old Boy Contracts Rare 'Rabbit Fever' From Tick Bite In Suffolk County Yard
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A 9-year-old boy in Suffolk County, New York, contracted tularemia — a rare bacterial infection known as "rabbit fever" — after a tick bit him while he played in his backyard. John Detmer suffered 10 days of relentless fever, severe head and neck pain, and a scalp wound that drained for weeks before doctors finally identified the cause, according to WFSB.
John's case is one of three probable tularemia cases now under investigation by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services in 2026. The outbreak has alarmed parents across Long Island during what health officials describe as a particularly bad tick season, KCRG reported.
A 10-Day Fever That Stumped Doctors for Weeks
Tracey Detmer found a tick embedded in her son's scalp on April 23, 2026, after he played in their Riverhead, NY yard. That same night, John developed severe neck pain and a swollen lymph node. A high fever followed and lasted more than 10 days. "Pretty much my head and my legs... it hurt really bad when I touched it," John told reporters, according to WBBJ TV.
Local doctors initially suspected an abscess or bone infection. The family visited multiple clinicians before finally reaching pediatric infectious disease specialists at Stony Brook Children's Hospital in mid-May. Blood tests confirmed tularemia on May 20. John then needed two separate 14-day courses of the antibiotic doxycycline — 28 days total — after his symptoms came back following the first round, WNEM reported.
What Is Rabbit Fever and Why Is It Hard to Catch Early
Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Ticks and deer flies can carry it from infected wild rabbits and rodents to humans. The U.S. averages only 150 to 300 cases per year nationwide, making it exceptionally rare. Suffolk County alone accounts for 43% of New York State's 30 confirmed cases from 1993 to 2023, according to WAFB.
Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said tularemia is easy to miss. "These are not the classic signs and symptoms we see with other tick infections," she said. Unlike Lyme disease, rabbit fever has no telltale bullseye rash. "You have a headache, your muscles hurt, your joints hurt, you're miserable and you are often in the emergency room," Dr. Nachman added, per WVVA.
Wild Rabbits in the Yard Sparked a Mother's Panic
Tracey Detmer said she was stunned by the diagnosis. "When I realized it was rabbit fever, I panicked because we have wild rabbits in our yard all the time," she told reporters. She called the weeks-long ordeal "a nightmare." The family had never suspected that a backyard tick bite could lead to such a serious illness, KLTV reported.
John himself summed up the lesson simply: "Don't go near the rabbits, because I could get it again." His mother stressed that since rabbits naturally run away, parents should focus on doing thorough tick checks after children play outside, according to WIBW.
How to Protect Your Family During a Bad Tick Season
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is tracking three probable tularemia cases in 2026. That compares to three cases in 2023 and four in 2024 — the county's highest single-year total in over a decade. Officials say the tick population is especially high this year, WEAU reported.
Doctors urge families to wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves when spending time outdoors. Use insect repellent with DEET. Avoid touching sick or dead wild rabbits. After any time outside, check skin and hair carefully for ticks. If you find a tick, remove it promptly and save it — as Tracey Detmer did — in case symptoms develop later, according to 13ABC.
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