Tularemia Case Studies

Tularemia is caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis. It infects both animals and humans. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2011), transmission can be caused by the following:
Bites from Deer flies and ticks,
Skin contact with animals that are infected,
Consuming contaminated water and meats,
Inhaling contaminated aerosols or dust,
Exposure in laboratories, and
Bioterrorism
Person to person transmission has not been reported. The disease is highly infectious and enters the human body through contact of the skin, mouth, throat, eyes or inhalation through the lungs. Tularemia can be life-threatening, but most infections can be treated with antibiotics (CDC, 2011). According to Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2002), annually reported cases have continued to decline. Reported tularemia cases in 48 States from 2001-2010 shows a total of 1208 cases;
Alabama reporting only seven cases during the ten year period (CDC, 2011). No information regarding deaths could be determined. Primary prevention is designed to reduce the exposure to diseases by educating and counseling the population (Maurer & Smith, 2013).
Primary prevention of tularemia may include teaching the population to use insect repellant to discourage exposure to tick and Deer fly bites (CDC, 2011). Secondary prevention is aimed at detecting and slowing the spread of a disease (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Secondary prevention of tularemia may include asking the patient if they have had any exposure to sick or dead animals; looking for ulcerations or sores during their physical examination (CDC, 2011). According to Maurer & Smith (2013), tertiary prevention focuses on limiting disabilities in the population that have been affected by the early stages of a disease or providing rehabilitation for those who have experienced loss of function. Tertiary prevention of tularemia includes educating the population that their entire course of antibiotic treatment must be completed thus decreasing the risk of bacteria spreading from skin ulcerations to the lungs by the blood stream (CDC,
2011).

References
CDC-Tularemia. (2011, January 11). Retrieved September 13, 2013, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/index
Hayes, E., Marshall, S., Dennis, D., & Feldman, K. (2002, March 8). Tularemia---United States, 1990--2000. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 51(09), 182-4. Retrieved September 13, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview
Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2013). Community/Public Health Nursing Practice: Health for Families and Populations (5th ed.). Elsever.