Tularemia is usually a rural disease and has been reported in all U. How do people become infected with tularemia? Typically, people become infected through the bite of infected insects most commonly, ticks and deerflies , by handling infected sick or dead animals, by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or by inhaling airborne bacteria.
Does tularemia occur naturally in the United States? Tularemia is a widespread disease in animals. About human cases of tularemia are reported each year in the United States. Most cases occur in the south-central and western states. Nearly all cases occur in rural areas, and are caused by the bites of ticks and biting flies or from handling infected rodents, rabbits, or hares. Cases also resulted from inhaling airborne bacteria and from laboratory accidents.
What are the signs and symptoms of tularemia? The signs and symptoms people develop depend on how they are exposed to tularemia. Possible symptoms include skin ulcers, swollen and painful lymph glands, inflamed eyes, sore throat, mouth sores, diarrhea or pneumonia.
If the bacteria are inhaled, symptoms can include abrupt onset of fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough, and progressive weakness. People with pneumonia can develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, bloody sputum, and respiratory failure. Tularemia can be fatal if the person is not treated with appropriate antibiotics. Why are we concerned about tularemia being used as a bioweapon? Francisella tularensis is highly infectious.
A small number of bacteria organisms can cause disease. If Francisella tularensis were used as a bioweapon, the bacteria would likely be made airborne so they could be inhaled. The organism can live for weeks in soil, water and dead animals. Unlike some infectious diseases that spread from animals to people in just one way, tularemia has several modes of transmission.
How you get the disease usually determines the type and severity of symptoms. In general, you can get tularemia through:. Although anyone of any age can develop tularemia, engaging in certain occupations or activities or living in certain areas pose a greater risk. Tularemia has also been reported in parts of Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. There's currently no vaccine available for tularemia. If you work in a high-risk occupation or live in an area where tularemia is present, these measures may help reduce your chance of infection:.
Protect yourself from insects. Tularemia in the United States is often related to a tick bite. In other parts of the world, tularemia is more commonly contracted through mosquito bites. If you spend time in tick- or mosquito-infested areas, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, and use a broad-brimmed hat to help protect your face and neck.
Apply insect repellent in moderation, and wash it off at the end of the day. Check yourself for ticks often and remove them immediately if you find any. Be sure to check your pets too. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.
Other modes of transmission occur, including contact with contaminated water, air, or soil. Over the last half century, the incidence of tularemia has decreased in winter months and increased over the summer. Total incidence, however, has declined over this period. There are several different types of tularemia, which vary in presentation and severity depending on the method of acquisition and the dose and virulence of the specific infecting organisms.
Typically, tularemia is divided into six forms:. Because F. Symptoms of tularemia usually develop within three or four days of inoculation, though in some cases it can take up to ten days for the disease to manifest. The organism is intracellular and spreads via the lymphatic system, multiplying within macrophages.
0コメント