By Óscar Contreras | Denver 7 News
A human case of tularemia, a bacterial disease that mostly spreads between rodents and insects, has been found in Jefferson County, public health officials said earlier this week.
The case was reported in a Wheat Ridge resident and was the first human cause of tularemia in the county in 2024, according to a spokesperson with Jefferson County Public Health.
The disease, also known as “rabbit fever,” is caused by the bacterium Fransicella tularensis and mostly affects rodents and rabbits, as well as insects such as ticks and deerflies. It can be transmitted to humans, however, through the bites of infected animals or insects, as well as through the ingesting contaminated water or food and airborne bacteria.