Bacteria Genomes - FRANCISELLA TULARENSIS

Francisella tularensisis an aerobic, Gram-negative , non motile and non-sporing coccobacillus and is the causative agent of the disease Tularemia which was named after Dr. Edward Francis and the location where the organism was discovered, Tulare County, California. Tularemia is frequently spread by direct contact with rabbits, leading to the term "rabbit fever." However, the disease can also be spread by other animals, typically rodents, and by arthropods.

Tularemia occurs in six different forms: typhoidal, pneumonic, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, ulceroglandular, and glandular. Clinical diagnosis can be difficult since the disease mimics many other illnesses. Pathogenesis varies greatly depending on mode of infection. The incubation period is about 3-5 days but it can take as long as two weeks for symptoms to appear. Symptoms vary based on mode of infection, but generally include fever, chills, joint and muscle pain, headache, weakness, and sometimes pneumonia. People who develop pneumonic tularemia experience chest pain, bloody sputum, and difficultly breathing. The disease is effectively cured by antibiotic treatment.

Tularemia may be spread in a variety of ways. The disease may be transmitted through the bite of ticks (wood, dog and lone star types) and deer flies; through contact with contaminated water, blood or tissue while handling carcasses of infected animals (for example, skinning or dressing animals); through eating insufficiently cooked meat of infected animals; or through inhalation of dust from contaminated soil, hay or grain.

References:

http://microbes.historique.net/tularensis.html
http://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/f_tularemia.htm
http://bbrp.llnl.gov/bbrp/html/F.tularensis.html