Tularemia – still dangerous zoonoses
Journal Title: Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu - Year 2011, Vol 17, Issue 3
Abstract
Tularemia is the acute, contagious animal disease called differently: the plague of rodents, hare illness or rabbit fever. Tu- laremia is caused by Gram-negative bacilla – Francisella tularensis. The source of infection are mainly hares, wild rabbits, small rodents from forest and meadow, wild birds, water, food. Vectors can be a blood sucking insects e.g. mosquito and ticks.Humans acquire infection through direct contact with infected animal tissues, ingestion (drinking contaminated wa- ter and food), inhalation and through insect bites. Infection occurs in different forms, such as typhoidal, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, pneumonic, ulceroglandular (most common) and gastro-intestinal. Because Francisella tularensis is one of the most infectious bacteria, can be used as a biological weapon.Tularemia in some countries is still a major epidemiological problem. The study presents the epidemiological situation of tularemia in Poland and in the world. Maximum severity of cases of tularemia in the world was recorded in the period1930-1950, despite the downward trend new cases are still recorded. It can be heard about emerging of new epidemics, whose source of infection are the hares, but also water and food. In Poland, for the first time in human tularemia was diagnosed in 1949, the source of infection was probably the hare pelt. Every year, brings the records of isolated cases of tularemia, mainly in endemic areas. In Poland 614 people in the years 1949-2009 fell for tularemia. There was one fatal case of tularemia in Poland in the year 1983.
Authors and Affiliations
Teresa Kłapeć, Alicja Cholewa
Keywords
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