illness from rabbits

Question
i just a bought a rabbit,i and my girlfriend bought two,when her dad found out we had rabbits he reacted quickly,he said things about the "rabbit fever". i dont know what to do right now with my new pet,i want to keep it but at the same time i'm scared. please help.

Answer
Dear Matthew,

The term "rabbit fever" is the common term for Tularemia, which is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.  Domestic rabbits are *extremely* unlikely to harbor this bacterium, and the only way you can get it is by handling or eating the tissues of a dead rabbit--which I certainly hope you are not planning to do.

You can read more about this here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia

The bacterium is not endemic to the Philippines, as far as I can tell.  I would think that your risk of contracting "rabbit fever" from your pet bunny is pretty close to zero.  Domestic rabbits carry very few diseases (if any) that are easily transmissible to a healthy human with a normal immune system.  (Cats are far more dangerous, in this respect.)

Hope that sets your mind at ease, and that you enjoy your bunny friend.  For all the best information on his care and health, please go to:

www.rabbit.org/

and for health information, visit:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/rabbithealth.html

Good luck!

Dana