Ridge Man Diagnosed With Rare Tick Borne Illness Rabbit Fever - News12 | Long Island

What the report says

News12 Long Island reported that Dean Grunhert, a resident of Ridge in Suffolk County, says he was diagnosed with tularemia, a rare bacterial illness often referred to as “Rabbit Fever,” after what he believes was a tick bite at his home. The report, published July 28, 2026, said Grunhert has had symptoms since May, including migraines, breathing difficulty and trouble sleeping.

According to News12, Grunhert said blood testing led an infectious disease specialist at Stony Brook Medicine to identify tularemia. He told the outlet he was surprised by the diagnosis and has since begun treatment. The article did not provide details on the type of treatment, the test results, or independent confirmation from his physician.

News12 said it sought comment from Grunhert’s doctor and Stony Brook Medicine, but was referred to state health officials, who directed questions to local health departments. The outlet reported that Nassau County and Suffolk County health departments said they had not confirmed any tularemia cases on Long Island at the time of the story.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes tularemia as an uncommon infection that can be associated with ticks, infected animals or contaminated environments. News12 cited CDC figures indicating roughly 200 U.S. cases are reported annually. The report is notable because Long Island regularly sees public health attention around tick-borne illnesses, while tularemia is far less commonly reported than diseases such as Lyme disease.