Arthropod-borne tularemia in Poland: a case report

Tularemia is a rare zoonosis. The most common way is ingestion of contaminated meat or water, but the infection may also be acquired by insect bite. The clinical picture of the disease may be nonspecific. Due to polymorphisms of clinical picture, specific treatment is often delayed. In the last 50 years, in Poland, the most infections were acquired by handling hares. In our article, we present the case of a patient who was infected with Francisella tularensis due to arthropod bite. In the presented case, the diagnosis was difficult, because of the nonspecific clinical picture. Information of the epidemiology and the clinical picture changes of tularemia may have great clinical significance. Tularemia requires the special attention of physicians. All patients with lymphadenopathy and arthropod bite history should be screened for tularemia in the outpatient department and, if necessary, treated in hospital.