Tularemia is an extremely infectious bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis and transmitted by mice, rabbits, squirrels and hares. This zoonosis is manifested by different clinical pictures, based on the way of infection. In addition to the bite / puncture of various arthropods (such as horseflies, fleas and ticks ), in fact, the infection is transmitted with direct contact with infected animals, the consumption of their undercooked meat, the inhalation of infectious particles (for example, while mowing the fields) and ingestion of contaminated water. The individuals who most often contract tularemia are hunters, butchers, peasants and leather tanners. There are 7 clinical syndromes associated with tularemia : cutaneous or ulcer-glandular, glandular, oculo-glandular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, septicemic or typhoid.
In the case of infection transmitted by the tick bite, an ulcer-glandular form develops after an incubation period of 1-14 days with painful swelling of the regional lymph nodes and non-specific symptoms (high fever, difficulty swallowing, diffuse muscle pain and headache). These manifestations are followed by ulceration of the skin at the point of inoculation of the pathogen. The disease usually lasts for a couple of weeks and treatment with antibiotics is often decisive. The therapy, if suspected of tularemia, should be started immediately, to avoid evolution in complicated and lethal forms.
