How many people get tularemia a year

The first sign of a possible tularemia attack would be a wave of people seeking medical treatment, about three to five days later. WHO believes such an attack would cause about thousand cases of severe illness, and 19 thousand deaths.

Tularemia has several traits that the U. Antibiotics can be used to treat lung disease and general illness caused by inhaled tularemia. Without treatment, 30 to 60 percent of people with this form of the disease may die. With treatment, the current death rate for tularemia in the U. No vaccine is currently available for the general public. The U. Food and Drug Administration is currently testing a possible vaccine for lab workers.

If you see any suspicious situations or activity in your community — including possible use of disease germs as weapons — alert your local law enforcement agency. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Map of Reported Cases - U.

Table of Reported Cases - U. As of September 9 , incidence had slowed to new cases per week; however, this is still unusually high compared to what is expected for this time of year.

According to Swedish authorities , there have been nearly tularemia cases in , as of September 9. The seasonal peak for tularemia in Sweden is typically around August and September, so continued elevated incidence can be expected over at least the next month.

Authorities have not indicated the primary mode or vector of transmission for the current outbreak. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECDC recommends that people in affected areas avoid drinking untreated water, prevent mosquito and tick bites eg, mosquito repellant, protective clothing , and avoid contact with sick or dead animals.

Individuals who handle wild animals should wear protective gloves, and all game meat should be thoroughly cooked to reduce the risk of infection. Additionally, ECDC notes the risk of transmission via organ transplants and cautions clinicians to consider tularemia when evaluating potential organ donors. A review of nearly 3 decades of tularemia surveillance in Sweden revealed an overall increase in tularemia incidence and the number of local outbreaks, particularly since the mids.

Tularemia in Sweden also shows signs of seasonality , with cases increasing in summer and early fall as people have greater exposure to contaminated water and mosquito activity. Symptoms usually appear 3 to 5 days after exposure to the bacteria, but can take from 1 to 14 days to develop.

Tularemia can be difficult to diagnose and may be mistaken for other more common illnesses. For this reason, it is important to share with your health care provider any likely exposures, such as tick and deer fly bites, or contact with sick or dead animals. A vaccine for tularemia is not currently available in the United States. If you suspect you have been exposed to tularemia, contact your doctor immediately. The best way to prevent tularemia is to:. Experts are concerned that tularemia could be used as a bioweapon because F.