Tularemia: clinical aspects in Europe

Maurin, M. and Gyuranecz, Miklós (2016) Tularemia: clinical aspects in Europe. LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES, 16. pp. 113-124. ISSN 1473-3099

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Abstract

Tularaemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis , a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacterium. Typically, human and animal infections are caused by F tularensis subspecies tularensis (type A) strains mainly in Canada and USA, and F tularensis subspecies holarctica (type B) strains throughout the northern hemisphere, including Europe. In the past, the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of tularaemia reported in the English medical literature were mainly those that had been reported in the USA, where the disease was fi rst described. Tularaemia has markedly changed in the past decade, and a large number of studies have provided novel data for the disease characteristics in Europe. In this Review we aim to emphasise the specifi c and variable aspects of tularaemia in diff erent European countries. In particular, two natural lifecycles of F tularensis have been described in this continent, although not fully characterised, which are associated with diff erent modes of transmission, clinical features, and public health burdens of tularaemia.

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