Familial tularaemia

Tularaemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis . In this report, we have presented an early stage case of tularemia with fever and pharyngitis and two cases from the same non-endemic region with typical lymphadenitis. All three patients were treated with non-specific medications in healthcare centres, the treatment being directed towards symptoms resembling those of upper respiratory tract infections. However, there was no regression in their complaints. Because the first case had been treated earlier, his lymphadenopaties regressed and there was no suppuration. The other two cases, which had been suspected to be exposed to the same pathogen based on their histories, were at a mild acute phase and presented to our clinic with typical lymphadenitis. The diagnoses of each of the three patients were made serologically. An early clinical recovery was achieved in the first patient with streptomycin (1 x 1 g/day im) and doxycyline (2 x 100 mg/day peroral) therapy. The therapy was prolonged to 4 weeks in the other two cases according to lymph node response and no complications occurring in their follow-ups. It can be concluded that tularaemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with fever, pharyngitis, conjunctivitis and cervical lymphadenopathies that do not respond to beta-lactam antibiotics.