The authors present a case report caused by Francisella novicida, rare opportunistic human pathogen that may cause tularemia-like disease in patients who are immunocompromised. diagnosis is challenge since it can be confused with Pasteurella or Brucella, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight systems limited due to its poor performance identification.

BACKGROUND Tularemia is a zoonotic infection, and the causative agent is Francisella tularensis. A first-line therapy for treating tularemia is aminoglycosides (streptomycin or, more commonly, gentamicin), and treatment duration is typically 7 to 10 days, with longer courses for more severe cases. MATERIAL/METHODS We evaluated 11 patients retrospectively. Failure of the therapy was defined by...

The respiratory mucosa is a major site for pathogen invasion and, hence, a site requiring constant immune surveillance. The type I, semi-invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells are enriched within the lung vasculature. Despite optimal positioning, the role of NKT cells in respiratory infectious diseases remains poorly understood. Hence, we assessed their function in a murine model of pulmonary t...

OBJECTIVE The Working Group on Civilian Biodefense has developed consensus-based recommendations for measures to be taken by medical and public health professionals if tularemia is used as a biological weapon against a civilian population. PARTICIPANTS The working group included 25 representatives from academic medical centers, civilian and military governmental agencies, and other public hea...

BACKGROUND Family physicians are likely to care for patients that have been exposed to diseases associated with bioterrorism. Persons with seemingly nondescript initial disease symptoms could be harbingers of a larger outbreak, whether naturally occurring or purposefully created. METHODS We report a missed sentinel case of pneumonic tularemia associated with a naturally occurring outbreak. Th...

Tularemia is a debilitating febrile illness caused by the category A biodefense agent Francisella tularensis. This pathogen infects over 250 different hosts, has a low infectious dose, and causes high morbidity and mortality. Our understanding of the mechanisms by which F. tularensis senses and adapts to host environments is incomplete. Polyamines, including spermine, regulate the interactions ...