BACKGROUND/AIM To investigate prospectively the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tularemia was diagnosed according to guidelines. An ACTH stimulation test (1 µg) and a dexamethasone suppression test (DST; 1 mg) were performed in patients in the acute phase of tularemia before antibiotic treatment and in the ...

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious zoonotic agent causing the disease tularemia. The common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) is considered a pest in eastern Europe, and believed to be a source of human tularemia infections. We examined the role of the common hamster in the natural cycle of tularemia using serologic methods on 900 hamsters and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 1...

A tularemia outbreak, caused by Francisella tularensis type B, occurred among wild-caught, commercially traded prairie dogs. F. tularensis microagglutination titers in one exposed person indicated recent infection. These findings represent the first evidence for prairie-dog-to-human tularemia transmission and demonstrate potential human health risks of the exotic pet trade.

Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three strains of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica (11-789-5S, 11-935-13S, and 11-930-9S), isolated from brown hares and a tick during a tularemia outbreak in France, where tularemia is endemic.

Tularemia is a potentially fatal disease caused by the Category A bioterrorism agent Francisella tularensis. Aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and tetracyclines can be used to treat tularemia; however, there high incidence of relapse treatment failures when using these drugs. Furthermore, no tularemia vaccine licensed for use in United States. Therefore, new antibiotics that target F. tularens...

We thank Dr. Ghogomu for his comments and interest in our recent article. The author of the Letter to the Editor reports a case that is partly similar to ours in terms of clinical presentation but with a final diagnosis of tularemia. The case described by Dr. Ghogomu et al. showed severe sore throat, chills, fever, and night sweats besides neck swelling, and thus initially was presumed a viral ...

BACKGROUND Tularemia is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis. Serology is frequently the preferred diagnostic approach, because the pathogen is highly infectious and difficult to cultivate. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of tularemia specific tests. METHODS The Serazym®Anti-Francisella tularensis ELI...

A novel competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was developed and evaluated for detection of antibodies against Francisella tularensis in humans. The assay is based on the ability of serum antibodies to inhibit the binding of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide antigens. The assay was evaluated using serum samples of tularemia patients, ...

Tularemia is a zoonotic infection seen primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. It is caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Although the ulceroglandular form of the disease is the more common manifestation of infection, F tularensis is known to cause pneumonia. F tularensis has two predominant subspecies, namely subsp. tularensis (type A) and subsp. holarctica (type B). Type B tularemia i...