Tularemia

Abstract

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis, a gram-negative, small facultative intracellular bacterium. F. tularensis is found in widely diverse animal hosts and habitats and can be recovered from contaminated water, soil, and vegetation. Human acquire infection through bites ticks, flies, and mosquitoes and by contact with animals, especially rodents. Two subspecies of F. tularensis are recognised on the basis of cultural characteristics, epidemiology, and virulence-tularensis (Type A) in North America and holarctica (Type B) in Eurasia. Tularemia is characterised by fever, apathy and septicaemia. In humans, there may be ulcers or abscesses at the site of inoculation and swelling of the regional lymph nodes. Because the causative agent of tularemia, F. tularensis, is one of the most infectious pathogenic bacteria known it may be used as a potential biological weapon.