Vet. Res. 36 (2005) 455-467
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2005006

Tularemia: emergence/re-emergence

Jeannine M. Petersen and Martin E. Schriefer

Bacterial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Foothills Campus, PO Box 2087, Ft. Collins, CO 80522, USA

(Received 28 May 2004; accepted 9 August 2004)

Abstract - Francisella tularensis is a gram-negative coccobacillus and the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease tularemia. First described in 1911 in Tulare County, California, it has since been reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with natural infections reported among an unusually wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. In recent years, tularemia has emerged in new geographic locations, populations, and settings. This review will serve to highlight mechanisms contributing to the recent emergence of tularemia as well as a repertoire of diagnostic tools useful for detecting and diagnosing disease.

Key words: tularemia / zoonosis / factors of emergence / Francisella tularensis

Corresponding author: Jeannine M. Petersen nzp0@cdc.gov

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2005