What part of the body does tularemia affect?

Tularemia is a rare infectious disease. Also known as rabbit fever or deer fly fever, it typically attacks the skin, eyes, lymph nodes and lungs. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

What is the most common clinical presentation of tularemia?

Ulceroglandular This is the most common form of tularemia and usually occurs following a tick or deer fly bite or after handing of an infected animal. A skin ulcer appears at the site where the bacteria entered the body. The ulcer is accompanied by swelling of regional lymph glands, usually in the armpit or groin.

What are the symptoms of tularemia in humans?

Signs and Symptoms

• In ulceroglandular and glandular tularemia, common early signs are high fever, chills, swollen glands, headache and extreme fatigue.
• Typhoidal tularemia is characterized by fever, exhaustion and weight loss.
• Sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are common in the oropharyngeal form of tularemia.

Can you get tularemia more than once?

If you have complications like pneumonia or meningitis, you’ll also need treatment for these conditions. Usually people who have had tularemia become immune to it, but some people get it more than once.

What is the natural host of tularemia?

The natural hosts include cottontail and jack rabbits, hares, voles, vole rats, squirrels, muskrat, beaver and lemmings. Among domestic animals, sheep seem to be particularly susceptible to clinical disease. Tularemia has also been seen in dogs, cats, pigs and horses; cattle seem to be resistant.

Can you get tularemia twice?

Does tularemia go away?

Fever may be high, and may go away for a short time only to return. Untreated, the fever usually lasts about four weeks. Other symptoms depend on the type of tularemia.

What is the prognosis of tularemia?

Prognosis for Tularemia Case fatality is almost nil in treated cases and about 6% in untreated cases of ulceroglandular tularemia. Case fatality rates are higher for type A infection and for typhoidal, septicemic, and pneumonic tularemia; they are as high as 33% for untreated cases.