[Two cases of tick-borne tularemia in Yozgat province, Turkey]

Tularemia which has a worldwide distribution, is a zoonotic infection caused by Francisella tularensis. F.tularensis can infect a wide range of animals and can be transmitted to humans in a variety of ways, the most common being by the bite of an infected arthropod vector (usually tick) in the USA and Europe. The clinical presentations have been classically divided into ulceroglandular, glandular, oculoglandular, pharyngeal, respiratory, and typhoidal tularemia depending on the route of transmission. Arthropod-borne infection generally leads to the ulceroglandular form of tularemia. In Turkey, oropharyngeal form which is related to the consumption of contaminated water, is the most common presentation of tularemia. In this report, two cases of ulceroglandular tularemia which developed as a consequence of tick bite in Yozgat province have been presented. A 33-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with a tender lump on the right axilla. Empiric antibiotic treatment with amoxicillin clavulanate did not lead to an improvement in the painful axillary mass. She reported a tick bite on her right shoulder before development of fever, chills and regional tender lump. On physical examination, hyperemia was seen on the shoulder, with enlarged tender right axillary lymph node. The clinical diagnosis of suspected ulceroglandular tularemia was confirmed by the seroconversion (1/160 and 1/1280 titers in acute and convelescent sera, respectively) with microagglutination test (MAT) and F.tularensis DNA positivity in lymph node aspirate by polymerase chain reaction. The agent was identified as F.tularensis subsp. holarctica based on the results of amplification of target RD1 gene. Second case, a 18-year-old male, was admitted to our hospital with a-week history of sudden onset of fever, headache, generalized aches, vomiting, nause, and tender lump on the left axilla. On physical examination, an inflammatory eschar was seen on his scalp with enlarged cervical lymph node on left side. The tick, which has removed from the scalp lesion by the patient himself was identified as Dermacentor spp. The suspected diagnosis of ulceroglandular tularemia was confirmed by 1/2560 titer positivity obtained with MAT. Gentamicin (5 mg/kg/day, PO) was initiated for the treatment of both patients, however, LAP did persist in both of them requiring abscess drainage and prolonged treatment with gentamicin following a 14-day course of ciprofloxacin (1500 mg/day, PO). LAP decreased after medical treatment and repetitive drainage procedures. The patients recovered completely without sequela. These cases, to the best of our knowledge, who were the first confirmed tick-borne tularemia cases in our country, were presented to call attention to a different mode of transmission for F.tularensis.