Francisella tularensis is a gram negative, coccobacillus zoonotic bacteria which is the cause of the disease tularemia. The disease often presents with fever and lymphadenopathy and is transmitted by the wood tick or the deer fly. Common situations which can predispose patients to this bacteria are skinning a rabbit or close contact with deer.
This bacteria stains gram negative which helps with identification.
This organism has an intermediate shape between a cocci (sphere) and bacilli (rod), hence the descriptor coccobacilli.
Fever is a presenting symptom of tularemia.
Lymphadenopathy is a common symptom of tularemia.
The deer fly, often found on deer, is a common transmitter of the disease. Therefore, close contact with deer can predispose an individual to tularemia.
Dermacentor wood tick is another transmitter of the disease, and this tick is often found in rabbits.
Rabbit skinning is a manner in which the bacteria can be transmitted to a human because the rabbit is the source of the tick within which the bacteria lives.
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