Tularemia found in wild hare on Funen for first time

A wild hare on Funen has been found to have tularemia, also known as hare pest, for the first time, DR reports.

The hare was found earlier this month in Svendborg on southern Funen with convulsions and was later euthanised, according to the Danish Veterinary Consortium.

Tularemia is a bacterial disease that mainly affects hares and rodents, but the bacterium can also infect humans. The disease has previously been detected in Jutland and Zealand.

People should avoid direct contact with sick or dead hares. Anyone who needs to handle an animal should wear gloves and wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. The Danish Veterinary Consortium also advises people in nature to protect themselves against tick bites and mosquito bites and to avoid drinking untreated water from lakes, streams and other natural water sources.

Sick hares may appear lethargic and weak, move slowly and lose their natural flight response. Anyone who develops persistent fever or swollen lymph nodes after contact with a sick or dead hare should contact their doctor and mention possible exposure to tularemia.

Dead hares can be submitted to the fallen wildlife surveillance programme, which monitors diseases and causes of death among wild animals and tracks how tularemia develops in hares and other wildlife.