Tularemia is an acute febrile zoonotic illness caused by the highly infectious Gram-negative organism Francisella tularensis. It is important to maintain a high degree of clinical suspicion for tularemia infections as symptoms can vary depending on the route of infection.
F. Tularensis is one of the most infectious agents known; as few as 10-25 organisms can cause an infection in humans. Several subspecies of the bacteria are known and their virulence and geographical range also vary. In the US, tularemia is rare with most cases reported in the southern and central states. However, over the years cases have been reported in the Northern part of the country.
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