Tularemia cases in hares prompt warning from Bavarian authorities

Dead brown hares in the districts of Freising and Erlangen-Höchstadt have tested positive for tularemia, prompting authorities to urge people to avoid contact with wild animals. BR reported the latest cases on Wednesday.

The disease was detected in a hare found at the Neufahrn Mühlseen in Freising district and in another found by a hunter in Mühlhausen, in Erlangen-Höchstadt district. Further cases were reported in October in the districts of Rhön-Grabfeld and Freising.

Bavaria’s State Office for Health and Food Safety said 30 cases in brown hares had been confirmed between January and September this year. More than 60 cases were recorded in 2025.

Tularemia is caused by a bacterium that mainly affects wild hares and rabbits. Mice and rats can also carry it, and the infection can spread to people. The state office has reported 45 human cases in Bavaria this year, compared with more than 70 in each of 2024 and 2025.

Symptoms in people usually begin after an incubation period of three to five days and include sudden high fever, flu-like symptoms, chills and fatigue. Lymph nodes and internal organs, including the lungs, can also be affected. The disease is rarely life-threatening. Human-to-human transmission has not been reported.

Authorities say infected hares may appear listless, lose their instinct to flee, breathe rapidly and have a fever. They usually die within a few days. People should keep their distance from wild animals and report dead or visibly ill hares to the veterinary office, local hunting authority or responsible hunting leaseholder without touching them.

Hunters should wear a mask and disposable gloves when handling hares or wild rabbits, then wash and disinfect their hands. Pets should also be kept away from wild animals and carcasses. Infection from eating meat that has not been heated sufficiently is possible, but very rare, according to the veterinary office.