Rabbits are, arguably, one of the cutest, most harmless animals in the world. That is why people were shocked when they saw splashed across news agencies a case of a disease known as rabbit fever. Two women on Tasmania's West Coast were infected with the disease after being bitten and scratched by possums after they had stopped to help injured animals on the side of the road.

But what is rabbit fever, and why does it strike shock onto the weary public? To get things cleared up first, rabbit fever does not come solely from rabbits, it comes from wild rodents, reported MedicineNet.com. It was only called rabbit fever because of hunters who came in contact with infected rabbits.

Rabbit fever, or tularemia, is caused by an infection in these wild rodents due to the bacterium called Francisella tularensis which can be transmitted to humans via contact with the animal's infected tissues or ticks, which is what happened to the two women in Tasmania - contact with the possums. But not only ticks, biting flies and mosquitos who have fed on infected animals can spread tularemia to humans.

Now that we've straightened out why it's called that way and how people can get it, what does the disease do to people? Its symptoms include:

- Red spot on the skin which can grow to an ulcer

- Swollen glands in the groin or armpits

- Headache

- Muscle pain

- Shortness of breath

- Recurring high fever which can last up to four weeks

- Weight loss

- Join stiffness

The best way to treat tularemia is with a drug called streptomycin, which is injected twice a day for two weeks. Though oral medications maybe taken, such as doxycycline or tetracycline, it is less effective than the shots and the disease may relapse after some time with the pills.