Tularemia - United States, 2001-2010.

Tularemia is a rare but potentially serious bacterial zoonosis that has been reported from all U.S. states except Hawaii. The etiologic agent, Francisella tularensis, is highly infectious and can be transmitted through arthropod bites, direct contact with infected animal tissue, inhalation of contaminated aerosols, and ingestion of contaminated food or water. F. tularensis has been designated a Tier 1 select agent because it meets several criteria, including low infectious dose, ability to infect via aerosol, and a history of being developed as a bioweapon (2). This report summarizes tularemia cases reported to CDC during 2001-2010 via the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) and compares the epidemiology of these cases with those reported during the preceding decade. During 2001-2010, a total of 1,208 cases were reported (median: 126.5 cases per year; range: 90-154). Incidence was highest among children aged 5-9 years and men aged >55 years. Clinicians and public health practitioners should be familiar with the current epidemiology and clinical features of tularemia to identify and adequately treat individual cases and recognize unusual patterns that might signal an outbreak or bioterrorism event.