What is tularemia? Tularemia is an infectious disease that typically infects the following animals: ... The disease is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. It ...TularemiaMedicallyreviewedbyJillSeladi-Schulman,Ph.D.—WrittenbyLydiaKrauseonFebruary7,2020TransmissionFormsandsymptomsComplicationsCausesRiskfactorsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionOutlookWhatistularemia?Tularemiaisaninfectiousdiseasethattypicallyinfectsthefollowinganimals:wildrodentssquirrelsbirdsrabbitsThediseaseiscausedbythebacteriumFrancisellatularensis.Itcanbelifethreatening.Readontofindouthowtularemiaistransmittedtohumans,thedifferentformsofthediseaseandtheirsymptoms,treatmentoptions,andmore.TransmissiontohumansHumanscancontracttularemiabyhavingdirectcontactwithaninfectedanimalorfromtick,mosquito,ordeerflybites.Thevariousformsoftularemiaaredistinguishedbywherethebacteriaenteraperson’sbody.Themostcommonformofthediseaseiscausedbyskincontactwiththebacteria.Themostsevereformofthediseaseiscausedbyinhalingthebacteria.Tularemiacanoftenbetreatedwithantibiotics.Earlytreatmentoffersagoodoutlookforcompleterecovery.However,someseverecasesmaybefatalevenwithtreatment.Tularemiaisrare.Thereareusually100to200newcasesreportedintheUnitedStateseachyear.FormsoftularemiaandtheirsymptomsThesymptomsoftularemiacanvarygreatly,fromasymptomaticormildtolifethreatening.Symptomstypicallyappearwithin3to5daysofbeinginfectedwiththebacteria,butinsomecasescantakeupto2weekstoappear.Symptomscanalsovarydependingonwherethebacteriaentersaperson’sbody.Herearesomeoftheformsoftularemiaandtheirassociatedsymptoms.UlceroglandulartularemiaThesymptomsofulceroglandulartularemia,orinfectionthroughtheskin,caninclude:askinulceratthepointofcontactwiththeinfectedanimaloratthesiteofabiteswollenlymphnodesneartheskinulcer(mostofteninthearmpitorgroin)severeheadachesafeverchillsfatigueGlandulartularemiaThesymptomsofglandulartularemia,orinfectionthroughtheskin,aresimilartoulceroglandularsymptomsbutwithoutaskinulcer.PneumonictularemiaPneumonictularemiaisth