Young woman after attack of a bird of prey infected with dangerous rabbit plague

After attack by buzzard: Joggerin falls ill with rabies

It has been known for some time that people with rabbit fever (tularemia) can become infected. However, a woman from Switzerland has been infected by a very unusual incident with the disease: she was attacked while jogging by a buzzard.

Rabbit plague can also be dangerous for humans

Tularemia is a bacterial disease caused by the causative agent Francisella tularensis. This can be transmitted by sucking and stinging insects, as well as directly via contaminated hay and infected blood or other liquids. Raw meat of diseased wildlife also carries a high risk of infection by the pathogens. The life-threatening infectious disease, which is colloquially referred to as "hare plague", meets mainly hares and rodents. But humans can also become infected. This is also shown by a recent case from Switzerland. There, a woman was infected in the attack of a bird of prey with the disease.

In Switzerland, a woman was jogging while being attacked by a common buzzard who infected her with the so-called rabbit sickle. (Image: JuergenL / fotolia.com)

Attack by buzzard

According to a media report in Switzerland, a woman was attacked by a buzzard who infected her with the so-called rabbit sickness. It took several weeks to be clear what she was suffering from.

According to the "Aargauer Zeitung" report, the woman was jogging in the canton of Aargau last year when she was attacked from behind by the bird of prey.

"It was like a sandbag falling on me. I'm terribly frightened, "the 42-year-old told the newspaper.

According to the information, the attack lasted only a moment, the bird has repelled immediately.

Although the jogger did not detect any blood, a bump formed on the back of the head on which a crust formed.

First wrong diagnoses

Several days later, however, various complaints arose. The woman had a high fever, severe body aches, and left neck pain in the lymph nodes.

When she visited her family doctor, he assumed that the patient was suffering from meningitis.

When she was admitted to hospital three days later, the doctors suspected a viral upper respiratory infection and administered analgesics and anti-inflammatories to the patient.

When she left the clinic after five days at her own request, she was still not healed. Only a short time later, the woman came to a hospital again: she had 40 degrees fever and muscle pain.

At the clinic, the doctors found that the patient's blood contained many antibodies against the tularemia pathogen and concluded that she had contracted rabbit's disease.

A treatment with antibiotics finally made her recover.

For symptoms to the doctor

Tularemia is a deadly disease for wild animals such as rabbits, wild rabbits or rodents. However, as a zoonotic disease, it also poses a high health risk for humans.

In humans, the infectious disease can be very different, depending on the entry point, for example, flu-like symptoms such as fever, but also skin ulcers, blisters in the mouth and throat, pneumonia or conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis) can occur.

Health professionals recommend seeing a doctor for symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle cramps or nausea and vomiting after coming into contact with wildlife or eating wild game meat. (Ad)