Tularemia – zoonosis carrying a potential risk of bioterrorism

Česká verzia

Authors: M. Prokšová ¹; J. Bavlovič ¹; J. Klimentová ¹; J. Pejchal ²; J. Stulík ¹
Authors place of work: Katedra molekulární patologie a biologie, Fakulta vojenského zdravotnictví, Univerzita obrany, Hradec Králové ¹; Katedra toxikologie a vojenské farmacie, Fakulta vojenského zdravotnictví, Univerzita obrany, Hradec Králové ²
Published in the journal: Epidemiol. Mikrobiol. Imunol. 68, 2019, č. 2, s. 82-89
Category: Souhrnné sdělení

Summary

Tularemia, otherwise known as “rabbit fever”, is a zoonotic disease caused by a gram-negative intracellular bacterium – Francisella tularensis. The species is considered as a potential bioterrorism agent due to its high infectivity, the fact of being relatively easy to culture, the absence of human vaccine, and the potential for spreading through aerosol. In the Czech Republic, infection is usually caused by a tick bite, less frequently by a mosquito bite, direct contact with infected animals, or ingestion of contaminated water. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive view of tularemia, its diagnosis, clinical symptoms and treatment, along with the military perspective on a potential risk of F. tularensis to be misused as a biological weapon.

Keywords:

tularemia – bioterrorism

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Práce byla podpořena projektem bezpečnostního výzkumu Ministerstva vnitra ČR – VI20172020095.