What it is:
Tularemia is a rare bacterial disease that occurs in both animals
and humans. In the summer of 2001, an outbreak of tularemia occurred
in rabbits on Martha’s Vineyard and was transmitted to people
by lawn mowing and brush cutting. Tularemia is considered to be
a possible bioterrorist agent.
How it’s spread:
Tularemia can be spread to people in a number of ways. Normally
the disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected
tick. It can also be spread by touching, handling or eating an infected
animal. It is possible to contract the disease by inhaling bacteria.
If tularemia were used in biological terrorism, the bacteria would
most likely be spread through the air. There is no risk of tularemia
spreading from an infected person to another person.
Symptoms:
Symptoms can vary depending on how the germs are transmitted. The
most common symptoms include slow-healing sore and swollen lymph
nodes. Breathing in the bacteria can cause a high fever, chills,
headache, fatigue, cough and chest pain. Eating items contaminated
with the bacteria can cause sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea,
and vomiting. In rare cases, people may also experience eye inflammation
or conjunctivitis (pink eye). Symptoms generally appear between
3-5 days after exposure, but can take up to 14 days.
Treatment:
Once a person has been exposed to tularemia, it can be effectively
treated with certain antibiotics whether or not symptoms have appeared.
If left untreated, tularemia has a 30-60% fatality rate, but with
prompt treatment all but 1-3% of people recover.
In Massachusetts, all cases of suspected tularemia
are required to be reported immediately by healthcare providers
to local health departments. In Boston, suspect cases of tularemia
should be reported by healthcare providers to the Boston Public
Health Commission at 617-534-5611.
Vaccination:
There is currently no vaccine for tularemia.
Exposure and Environmental
Cleanup: The bacteria that cause tularemia can remain
active in cold, moist environments, such as water or soil, for weeks.
However, standard chlorine concentrations in municipal water supplies
should render the bacteria inactive.
No information exists on how long intentionally
released tularemia particles last, but it is thought that the bacteria
would be destroyed by dry conditions, sunlight, and by exposure
to oxygen.
If a person is exposed to tularemia, they should
wash their skin and clothing with soap and water. To decontaminate
exposed surfaces, a spray of 1 part bleach with, 9 parts water can
be used. The risk of tularemia infection from animals is minimal,
and can be further reduced in areas of high population density by
simple avoidance of sick animals, dead animals, and biting insects.
The
information in this section was compiled from the following sources:
http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/pages/agents/agenttularemia.html
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DocumentsApp/FAQTularemia.asp
