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Laryngorhinootologie 2022 Jul 23;101(7):594-596. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Abteilung für Tropenmedizin und Infektionskrankheiten und Sektion Nephrologie, Universitätsmedizin Rostock.

Front Immunol 2022 25;13:836754. Epub 2022 May 25.

Inflammation Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.

Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMNs) have a distinctively short lifespan, and tight regulation of cell survival and death is imperative for their normal function. We demonstrated previously that extends human neutrophil lifespan, which elicits an impaired immune response characterized by neutrophil dysfunction. Herein, we extended these studies, including our transcriptional profiling data, and employed Seahorse extracellular flux analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite analysis, flow cytometry and several other biochemical approaches to demonstrate that the delayed apoptosis observed in -infected neutrophils is mediated, in part, by metabolic reprogramming. Read More

CMAJ 2022 May;194(20):E701-E703

Departments of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Walkty, Keynan) and of Internal Medicine (Vickers, Walkty, Keynan), Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba; Shared Health (Walkty), Winnipeg, Man.

J Bacteriol 2022 05 27;204(5):e0008222. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciencesgrid.413555.3, Albany, New York, USA.

Francisella tularensis is an intracellular, Gram-negative bacterium known for causing a disease known as tularemia in the Northern Hemisphere. F. tularensis is classified as a category A select agent by the CDC based on its possible use as a bioterror agent. Read More

Rev Med Suisse 2022 Apr;18(777):707-711

Service des maladies infectieuses, Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois et Université de Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne.

Tularemia (caused by the facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacillus Francisella tularensis) is an endemic zoonotic disease in Europe, which exhibits different clinical patterns. Following the glandular form, pneumonia is the second most frequent manifestation in Switzerland. Pulmonary tularemia often has a subacute course and fails to respond to beta-lactam antibiotics. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2022 Apr 1;22(1):320. Epub 2022 Apr 1.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a zoonotic and vector-borne disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. We report a case (36 year-old-woman) of MSF caused by Rickettsia conorii from Iran.

Case Presentation: In September 2019, the patient was admitted to the hospital in Kerman province with flu-like symptoms and maculopapular lesions. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2022 Mar 20;29(1):12-21. Epub 2021 Aug 20.

Department of Bacteriology and Biocontamination Control, National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.

Introduction And Objective: Tularaemia is an infrequently occurring disease in Poland. It has therefore rarely been taken into account in the differential diagnosis of skin lesions, lymphadenitis, or soft tissue abscesses. This fact, accompanied by non-specific initial presentation, may lead to a delay in diagnosis and a more severe course of the disease. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022 05 10;13(3):101941. Epub 2022 Mar 10.

Infectious Disease Department, Nord Franche-Comté Hospital, France.

Tularemia is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis. Depending on the transmission route of this agent tularemia can present itself as a local infection or a systemic disease. We describe herein three cases of confirmed tularemia in immunocompetent patients during the summer of 2019; two patients with unusual respiratory presentation and pulmonary nodules on imaging, following exposure to aerosols. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2022 04;28(4):883-885

We used national registry data on human cases of Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica infection to assess transmission modes among all 26 autochthonous cases in the Netherlands since 2011. The results indicate predominance of terrestrial over aquatic animal transmission sources. We recommend targeting disease-risk communication toward hunters, recreationists, and outdoor professionals. Read More

PLoS One 2022 11;17(3):e0259807. Epub 2022 Mar 11.

Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America.

Francisella tularensis is the etiologic agent of tularemia and a Tier I Select Agent. Subspecies tularensis (Type A) is the most virulent of the four subspecies and inhalation of as few as 10 cells can cause severe disease in humans. Due to its niche as a facultative intracellular pathogen, a successful tularemia vaccine must induce a robust cellular immune response, which is best achieved by a live, attenuated strain. Read More

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2022 Apr 24;83:101779. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia an infectious zoonotic disease. We attempted the molecular detecting of F. tularensis in small ruminants and ticks attached to these animals in Kurdistan province (the west of Iran). Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 02 11;19(4). Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California-Davis, 4206 VM3A, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Tularemia is a rare zoonotic disease found worldwide. The agent responsible for disease, , is one of the most highly infectious pathogens known, one that is capable of causing life-threatening illness with inhalation of <50 organisms. High infectivity explains concerns of its use in bioterrorism. Read More

J Immunol 2022 03 11;208(5):1180-1188. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Immunity to Pulmonary Pathogens Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT; and

Pulmonary infections elicit a combination of tissue-resident and circulating T cell responses. Understanding the contribution of these anatomically distinct cellular pools in protective immune responses is critical for vaccine development. is a highly virulent bacterium capable of causing lethal systemic disease following pulmonary infection for which there is no currently licensed vaccine. Read More

Cell Immunol 2022 03 7;373:104485. Epub 2022 Feb 7.

Immunity to Pulmonary Pathogens Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, 903 S. 4th Street Hamilton, Montana, 59840, United States. Electronic address:

The metabolite itaconate plays a critical role in modulating inflammatory responses among macrophages infected with intracellular pathogens. However, the ability of itaconate to influence developing T cells responses is poorly understood. To determine if itaconate contributes to the quality of T cell mediated immunity against intracellular infection, we used Francisella tularensis as a model of vaccine induced immunity. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021 14;11:808550. Epub 2022 Jan 14.

Bacteriology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Frederick, MD, United States.

Biofilms have been established as an important lifestyle for bacteria in nature as these structured communities often enable survivability and persistence in a multitude of environments. is a facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacterium found throughout much of the northern hemisphere. However, biofilm formation remains understudied and poorly understood in as non-substantial biofilms are typically observed by the clinically relevant subspecies subsp. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2022 Jun 29;69(4):286-294. Epub 2022 Jan 29.

World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Paris, France.

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has recently developed a Wildlife Health Framework to respond to the need of members to manage the risk from emerging diseases at the animal-human-ecosystem interface. One of its objectives is to improve surveillance systems, early detection and notification of wildlife diseases. Members share information on disease occurrence by reporting through the OIE World Animal Health Information System (OIE-WAHIS-formerly known as 'WAHIS'). Read More

Euro Surveill 2022 Jan;27(4)

Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.

BackgroundIn Finland, surveillance of tularaemia relies on laboratory-confirmed case notifications to the National infectious Diseases Register (NIDR).AimThe aim of the study was to assess the suitability and usefulness of clinical surveillance as an addition to laboratory notification to improve tularaemia surveillance in Finland.MethodsWe retrieved NIDR tularaemia surveillance and primary healthcare data on clinically diagnosed tularaemia cases in Finland between 2013 and 2019. Read More

PLoS One 2022 25;17(1):e0261938. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.

Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic intracellular bacterium that causes the disease tularemia. While its ability to replicate within cells has been studied in much detail, the bacterium also encodes a less characterised type 4 pili (T4P) system. T4Ps are dynamic adhesive organelles identified as major virulence determinants in many human pathogens. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2022 02;28(2):465-467

Although Francisella tularensis is a well-known, highly virulent bacterium that causes tularemia in humans, other Francisella species have been associated with sporadic human infections. We describe a human cutaneous infection with bacteremia caused by F. salimarina, a Francisella species recently identified from seawater and fishes, in an immunocompromised patient in France. Read More

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2022 Feb 6;81:101744. Epub 2022 Jan 6.

Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Background: Francisella tularensis could be disseminated through arthropod bites and exposure to infected animals, water, and aerosols. Water sources that are contaminated with rodent excrement could be a source of contamination; therefore, an analysis of water samples is an appropriate method to investigate the routes of dissemination. Since an outbreak occurred in one of the villages in East Azerbaijan. Read More

Acta Med Port 2022 Feb 11;35(2). Epub 2022 Jan 11.

Serviço de Doenças Infeciosas. Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.

Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative coccobacillus, is a highly virulent pathogen responsible for several zoonotic outbreaks in Europe in the last few decades. The authors report the case of a 46-year-old male who developed fever, myalgias and headache a week after having contact with animal feed contaminated by rodents. Serological tests were positive for Francisella tularensis. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021 24;11:784101. Epub 2021 Dec 24.

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

is a facultative intracellular bacterium and the etiological agent of tularemia, a zoonotic disease. Infection of monocytic cells by can be controlled after activation with IFN-γ; however, the molecular mechanisms whereby the control is executed are incompletely understood. Recently, a key role has been attributed to the Guanylate-binding proteins (GBPs), interferon-inducible proteins involved in the cell-specific immunity against various intracellular pathogens. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022 03 25;13(2):101893. Epub 2021 Dec 25.

Institute of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital and Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Sokolská 581, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

Although Francisella (F.) tularensis is a well-described and understood zoonotic pathogen, its importance in Central Europe is relatively minor and, as such, tularaemia may be missed in the differential diagnosis. The annual incidence of tularaemia in the Czech Republic is relatively stable with up to 100 reported cases per year, except in the epidemic years 1998 and 1999 with 225 and 222 reported cases, respectively. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2022 04;41(4):e113-e119

From the Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio.

Objectives: Zoonotic infections are difficult to recognize in children. The age distributions and seasonal occurrences of these infections vary substantially, even among those transmitted by the same vectors, and their epidemiology may change over time. The aim was to report the incidences and trends of Borrelia burgdorferi, Puumala virus, Francisella tularensis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus infections in the pediatric population (age 0-19) of Finland. Read More

Comput Math Methods Med 2021 18;2021:6820864. Epub 2021 Dec 18.

Faculty of Medicine, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, China.

Objective: Tularemia, also known as hare fever, is caused by the bacterium () transmitted through diseased wild animals, blood sucking insects, or contaminated water or food, which is distributed worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate infection in animal hosts and vectors from six different natural landscape areas in Gansu Province and to identify the genotypes of the detected .

Methods: Rodents were captured by snap traps, and ticks were collected by dragging a cloth over the vegetation or from domestic animals. Read More

Environ Microbiol Rep 2022 02 29;14(1):50-59. Epub 2021 Nov 29.

Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.

Francisella novicida is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of tularemia. Although cases of infection caused by exposure to contaminated water have been reported, its natural host and ecology in the environment remain unclear. In this study, we investigated in vitro the possibility that Paramecium bursaria may be a useful tool as a protist host model of F. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2022 03 15;69(2):106-116. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany.

In November 2018, a tularaemia outbreak occurred in Bavaria, Germany, among participants of a hare hunt and butchery employees handling the hares. We conducted an epidemiological outbreak investigation, including a retrospective cohort study among hunting participants, to identify likely transmission routes and activities associated with infection. Twelve of 41 participants were antibody-positive for Francisella (F. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 29;12:701341. Epub 2021 Oct 29.

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.

The essential micronutrient Selenium (Se) is co-translationally incorporated as selenocysteine into proteins. Selenoproteins contain one or more selenocysteines and are vital for optimum immunity. Interestingly, many pathogenic bacteria utilize Se for various biological processes suggesting that Se may play a role in bacterial pathogenesis. Read More

Przegl Epidemiol 2021 ;75(2):184-191

Department of Pulmonology and Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.

Tularaemia is a rare infectious disease caused by Francisella tularensis. In Poland, F. tularensis infections are caused by F. Read More

Cent Eur J Public Health 2021 Sep;29(3):187-190

Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.

Objectives: Potential effect of three environmental variables (population density of rodents, global weather in the form of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, and acorn crop) on human morbidity rate of three zoonoses: tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), leptospirosis and tularaemia were analysed in the Czech Republic for the period 1970-1990.

Methods: The Pearson's correlation analysis was used.

Results: The correlation analysis revealed that the significant factor for explaining annual morbidity rates of these zoonoses was the abundance of common voles (Microtus arvalis) in the current year (for leptospirosis) or in the previous calendar year (for TBE and tularaemia). Read More