Tularemia Detected in Glacier National Park’s Many Glacier Valley

News Release Date: October 15, 2026

WEST GLACIER, Mont.
- Park officials have confirmed that two dead snowshoe hares were found in Glacier National Park's Many Glacier Valley tested positive for tularemia, a rare but serious bacterial disease.

The first hare was found on Sept. 26, 2026, in the National Park Service Many Glacier staff housing area. The second was found on Sept. 30, 2026, along the trail to the Swiftcurrent Falls viewing area.

Tularemia occurs naturally and can affect wildlife, pets and humans. The disease is most commonly transmitted through bites from infected ticks or flies, and can cause wildlife illness and death, especially in small mammals. Tularemia infections in humans are rare but can cause serious illness. Humans and pets can contract tularemia through contact with infected animals, contaminated food or water, tick bites, or inhalation of bacteria released into the air from disturbed carcasses of infected animals. Person-to-person transmission is rare.

To reduce the risk of tularemia infection, visitors should take the following precautions:

• Use insect repellent regularly and check yourself, children and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors. Learn more about tick prevention.

• Wash hands thoroughly and often.

• Keep a safe distance from wildlife and do not touch wildlife carcasses.

• Drink only water that has been treated or boiled.

• Avoid activities, such as mowing or weed trimming, that could disturb sick or dead animals and release bacteria into the air.

In humans, tularemia can cause symptoms, including fever, chills, joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, dry cough, chest pain, skin ulcers or sores at the site of a tick bite, and swollen lymph nodes. Anyone who develops these symptoms within two weeks of visiting the area should seek medical attention and tell their healthcare provider about possible exposure to tularemia. The disease can be treated with antibiotics, early diagnosis and treatment are important.

Visitors who find dead animals in the park should not touch or disturb them and should report their location to park staff as soon as possible.

For more information, visit the National Park Service's tularemia webpage.

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