MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Tularemia

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Tularemia

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms Signs and tests	Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider Prevention

Illustrations

Deer ticks

Ticks

Tick imbedded in the skin

Antibodies

Alternative names Return to top

Deerfly fever; Rabbit fever

Definition Return to top

Tularemia is an infection common in wild rodents caused by the organism Francisella tularensis and transmitted to humans by contact with animal tissues or ticks.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Humans can contract tularemia in the following ways:

direct contact with an infected animal or carcass via broken skin
the bite of an infected flea or tick
ingesting infected meat (rare)

Endemic areas (areas where the disorder occurs most commonly) include North America and parts of Europe and Asia. The illness may continue for several weeks after the onset of symptoms.

Some people may develop an atypical pneumonia. Risk factors include recent exposure to rabbits or recent a tick bite. The disease is very rare in the United States.

Francisella tularensis is considered a potential bioterrorism agent. An aerosol release would be the most likely method and would result in a large number of pneumonia cases several weeks after exposure.

Symptoms Return to top

red spot on the skin, enlarging to an ulcer
enlarged lymph nodes of groin or armpits
headache
muscle pains
possible conjunctivitis
shortness of breath
fever
chills
sweating
weight loss
joint stiffness

Signs and tests Return to top

serology for tularemia
blood culture for tularemia
chest X-ray

This disease may also alter the results of febrile/cold agglutinins.

Treatment Return to top

The goal of treatment is to eliminate the infection with antibiotic therapy. Streptomycin and tetracycline are commonly used in this infection.

Note: oral tetracycline is usually not prescribed for children until after all the permanent teeth have erupted. It can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

Tularemia is fatal in about 5% of untreated cases and in less than 1% with treatment.

Complications Return to top

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Call your health care provider if symptoms develop after a rodent bite, tick bite, or exposure to the flesh of a wild animal.

Prevention Return to top

A vaccine is recommended for people at high risk (trappers, hunters, and laboratory workers who work with the organism).

Update Date: 7/16/2004

Updated by: Daniel Levy, M.D., Ph.D., Infectious Diseases, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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