Do Wild Rabbits Carry Diseases?
Wild rabbits do carry diseases associated with parasites and bacteria, according to the House Rabbit Society. It is important to use caution when handling wild rabbits.
One of the most common diseases carried by wild rabbits is tularemia, also known as rabbit fever. Tularemia is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted to humans. It can be contracted through contact with blood or the tissue of infected animals. Deer flies and ticks can also transmit tularemia. Symptoms include skin ulcers at the point of infection and swollen lymph nodes.
Rabbits may also carry myxomatosis, a type of pox that only affects rabbits. Calicivirus disease, also known as rabbit hemorrhagic disease, is a highly contagious and fatal disease affecting wild and domestic rabbits exclusively.
