In October and the first weeks of November 2019, ten hares were submitted to DWHC for post-mortem examination. In three hares tularaemia (rabbit fever) has been diagnosed.

In September 2019, tularaemia was again confirmed in a hare on the territory of the Wildlife Management Unit ‘Kromme Rijn’ in the province of Utrecht. A few hares died in this area in previous years due to tularaemia.

In November DWHC reported that tularaemia was found in the province of Overijssel and in the province of Limburg. Also in other parts of the Netherlands hare mortality was reported. It was questioned if the tularaemia was also the cause of death in those parts. In most cases there seems to be a different cause of death.