Two cases of tularemia in hunters from rural Newfoundland
BACKGROUND: Tularemia is a rare zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis, a small gram-negative intracellular coccobacillus. Transmission occurs through direct contact with small mammals such as hares and rabbits, exposure to ticks, or ingestion or inhalation of aerosolized particles. It is a highl...
| Published in: | Official Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress)
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jammi-2020-0015 https://jammi.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/jammi-2020-0015 |
| Summary: | BACKGROUND: Tularemia is a rare zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis, a small gram-negative intracellular coccobacillus. Transmission occurs through direct contact with small mammals such as hares and rabbits, exposure to ticks, or ingestion or inhalation of aerosolized particles. It is a highly variable disease with six subtypes based on clinical features. Tularemia is a very rare disease in Canada, with only 0.01 cases per 100,000 people reported in 2017. METHODS: In this case report, we describe two cases of tularemia affecting hunters from rural Newfoundland and Labrador. RESULTS: The first case describes a patient with glandular tularemia diagnosed with serology; the second describes a patient with typhoidal tularemia diagnosed on blood culture. Both patients recovered after treatment with gentamicin. DISCUSSION: These cases highlight the importance of eliciting a careful social history from patients presenting with an unexplained febrile illness. Tularemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fever after hunting in rural areas. |
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