Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention of Tularemia
It is important for those who are bitten by a rodent or a tick, or those who are exposed to the flesh of wild animals, to get medical treatment as quickly as possible from a general practitioner who may order a few tests to be taken to confirm diagnosis. Tularemia can be completely cured if treated early. It is fatal in 5% of untreated cases and in less than 1% of treated cases.
Blood tests may be carried out to check for the presence of antibodies against F. tularensis. Besides this basic test, a chest X-ray and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are some of the other methods that help to confirm the diagnosis of the disease and decide on the course of treatment.
Not many studies have been made on the treatments available for tularemia. Treatment with antibiotics, such as streptomycin and tetracycline, is a common method of dealing with tularemia. An alternative therapy to streptomycin is a once-daily dose of gentamicin and this has been found to have excellent outcome.
Tetracycline and chloramphenicol used alone have a high relapse rate and are therefore, not considered for first-line treatment.
The good news is that a vaccine may soon find its place in the arsenal to deal with tularemia. It is still under FDA’s review and is not yet available for use.
The difficulty involved in diagnosing the disease makes prevention more important than cure.
- Use an insect repellent containing DEET on your skin or spray clothing with a repellant containing permethrin especially when you are travelling or moving around in forest regions
- Wash hands with soap and warm water after handling animal carcass
- Notify the veterinarian if you see any change in pet behavior
A vaccine is recommended for people at high risk (trappers, hunters, and laboratory workers who work with the bacteria). A "live vaccine strain" (LVS) tularemia vaccine is being reviewed by the FDA. It is currently available only for US military personnel who are at risk. Despite the possible threat of tularemia bacteria to be used as a bio weapon, the development of vaccine remains slow.
