Prevention

There's currently no vaccine available for tularemia. If you work in a high-risk occupation or live in an area where tularemia is present, these measures may help reduce your chance of infection:

• Protect yourself from insects. Tularemia in the United States is often related to a tick bite. In other parts of the world, tularemia is more commonly contracted through mosquito bites.

  If you spend time in tick- or mosquito-infested areas, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, and use a broad-brimmed hat to help protect your face and neck. Use an insect repellent with 20% to 30% DEET, picaridin or IR3535, but follow the manufacturer's directions carefully. Apply insect repellent in moderation, and wash it off at the end of the day.

  Check yourself for ticks often and remove them immediately if you find any. Be sure to check your pets too.

• Take care when gardening. Home gardeners and professional landscapers should consider wearing a face mask when excavating the soil, clearing weeds or brush, or mowing lawns.
• Handle animals carefully. If you hunt or handle wild rabbits or hares, wear gloves and protective goggles, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after touching the animal.
• Don't eat undercooked meat. Cook all wild meat thoroughly, and avoid skinning or dressing any animal that appeared ill. Heat kills F. tularensis, so cook meat to the right temperature — a minimum of 160 F (71.1 C) for ground meat and game meat — to make it safe to eat. Poultry should be cooked to 165 F (73.8 C).
• Protect your pets. Livestock and pets can contract tularemia if they eat part of a diseased rabbit or are bitten by an infected tick. To help keep your pets safe, avoid letting them outside unsupervised, provide them with flea and tick protection, and don't let them come in close contact with wild or dead animals.