Tularemia prevention

This fact sheet provides important information that can help you recognize and get treated for tularemia. For more detailed information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tularemia Web site (www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/tularemia). 

What Can I Do to Prevent Becoming Infected with Tularemia ... 

Tularemia occurs naturally in many parts of the United States. Use insect repellent containing DEET on your skin, or treat clothing with repellent containing permethrin, to prevent insect bites. Wash your hands often, using soap and warm water, especially after handling animal carcasses. Be sure to cook your food thoroughly and that your water is... 

Treatment begun with streptomycin, gentamicin, doxycycline, or ciprofloxacin during the incubation period and continuing for 14 days may prevent symptomatic infection (43). A small study in volunteers showed that oral tetracycline given within 24h of an aerosol exposure and continued for 14 or 28 days was fully protective, whereas two out of ten volunteers treated for only 5 days developed symptomatic tularemia after stopping treatment. Once pubUc health officials become aware that... 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tularemia - United States, 1990-2000. MMWR, 51 (9) 181-185, 2002... 

Vaccines to prevent tularemia have included those made from killed, whole cells and live, attenuated strains. A whole-cell, killed vaccine was developed by L. Foshay and associates94 in the 1930s, but proved to be of limited efficacy. Experimental studies24 done with human volunteers showed that this vaccine reduced the frequency of systemic symptoms but did not prevent the local lesion after intracutaneous challenge. Additional studies25 with aerosol challenge in humans showed that the killed vaccine neither prevented nor modified the disease. 

Evidence based on an analysis of laboratory-acquired infections99 indicates that immunization with the live, attenuated LVS vaccine prevents the typhoidal and ameliorates the ulceroglandular forms of tularemia. The LVS vaccine is currently available as an Investigational New Drug from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-5011. 

Burke DS. Immunization against tularemia Analysis of the effectiveness of live Francisella tularensis vaccine in the prevention of laboratory-acquired tularemia. J Infect Dis. 1977 135 55-60. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates biological j ents with the greatest potential for harming pubhc health as Category A. Current Category A agents include anthrax, botulism, pk ue, smallpox, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fevers. 

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