predatory animals, and such valuable game birds as grouse are susceptible
to the 
disease. Domestic rabbits are known to be susceptible to tularemia under
lab- 
oratory conditions, but no case of the disease has been recognized in commercial

rabbitries, and care should be exercised to avoid its introduction into such

places. There is no danger of contracting tularemia from eating rabbit meat
if 
it is thoroughly cooked, even though the animal may have been infected. Fatal

cases, however, have resulted from eating wild-rabbit meat that was insuf-

ficiently cooked, 
Protective Measures 
A protective vaccine has been developed but has not yet been extensively

used. Care should be exercised in the open to avoid so far as possible bites

of deer flies or ticks, particularly in an area where an epizootic of tularemia

is known to exist. When handling or dressing rabbits, or when skinning other

animals that may be infected with the disease, the use of rubber gloves is

recommended in order to avoid contact with the blood or the visceral organs.

This is the best known protection against human infection, but it is not
com- 
plete, as skilled laboratory workers who maintain the most careful precautions

when handling carcasses or laboratory cultures frequently become infected
through 
other channels. The same precautions should be followed in handling fresh
skins. 
It is unlikely that skins that have been thoroughly dried over a period of
three 
or four weeks will continue to carry the live infective organism. One attack
of 
tularemia confers immunity to man. Immunes, therefore, should be employed
where 
possible in occupations involving risk of infection. 
Quarantine 
In many parts of the country there is much interest in liberating wild 
rabbits to restock hunting areas, and in some instances these animals have
been 
obtained from States where tularemia is now known to have been prevalent
periodi- 
cally. Where importations for restocking purposes appear desirable, it is
im- 
portant that effective quarantine be maintained to prevent the introduction
of 
diseased animals into localities where tularemia is not present or where
it is 
not manifested in epizootic form. Present information indicates that maintenance

of a quarantine on wild rabbits for at least 10 days is a reasonable safeguard.

Infected wild rabbits are likely to die within a period of 5 or 6 days, although

they may not invariably do so. Rabbits that die after capture, during shipment,

or while held in quarantine should be carefully examined by persons capable
of 
recognizing tularemia or other diseases and of diagnosing the exact cause
of 
death.