Revelation 6:7,8 NCV When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.
United States health officials are working to find out what’s behind a rise in cases of rabbit fever.
The rare disease is also known as tularemia and can be life-threatening, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The organization said Thursday that there are usually only 125 cases of the disease in the United States every year, but there were 100 in just four states as of September 30. There has now been 235 total cases, the Associated Press reported.
According to the CDC, the disease is caused by a bacteria to which rabbits and other kinds of small rodents are easily susceptible. Humans can contract the disease through tick bites, handling animals that have been infected or by breathing in the infectious bacteria.
The CDC says the disease can lead to a variety of symptoms, depending on the bacteria enters the human body. The most serious infections occur when the bacteria spreads into the lungs, either directly via breathing or through the bloodstream after leaving an infection untreated.
The disease is treated through antibiotics and most patients have full recoveries, according to the CDC. But its symptoms (which can include fever, joint and muscle pain, difficulty breathing and vomiting) may make it hard to diagnose, as it can be mistaken for more common illnesses.
An 85-year-old man died and at least 48 people were hospitalized this year, the CDC said.
The CDC report says it’s not clear what is behind the increase in cases, particularly in the four-state region of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota where there were the 100 documented cases through the end of September. A possible explanation is that heavy rainfall there fostered vegetation growth and bacteria survival, as well as increased rodent populations.
While it’s not explicitly mentioned as a potential cause in the report released Thursday, the CDC website does list tularemia as a potential weapon that could be used in bioterrorism attacks. The website notes the bacteria is highly infections and can be transmitted through the air.
The CDC encourages people to wear insect repellent and use gloves when handling dead animals to help prevent infection.
