Long Island Reports 4th Tularemia Case in 2026 as Cat Bite Infects Riverhead Woman
Updated
Updated · NBC New York · Aug 6
Long Island Reports 4th Tularemia Case in 2026 as Cat Bite Infects Riverhead Woman
3 articles · Updated · NBC New York · Aug 6
Summary
A Riverhead woman is being treated for tularemia after her outdoor cat bit her while she was giving it medicine, marking Suffolk County’s fourth case this year and the second disclosed within 48 hours.
Blood cultures confirmed the bacteria, and the cat later died of the disease; officials said tularemia can spread when ticks infect rabbits or pets and then reach people.
Doctors said the rare illness often hits harder than Lyme disease, causing high fever, severe fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes open sores that send patients to the emergency room.
A 9-year-old Suffolk patient described weeks of severe symptoms after a tick bite on his scalp, while health officials urged tick checks and prompt medical attention because tularemia is rare but treatable with antibiotics.