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Article: Endemic tularemia, Sweden, 2003.(DISPATCHES)
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- September 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Tularemia cases have been reported in Sweden since 1931, but no cyclical patterns can be identified. In 2003, the largest outbreak of tularemia since 1967 occurred, involving 698 cases. Increased reports were received from tularemia-nonendemic areas. Causal factors for an outbreak year and associated geographic distribution are not yet understood.
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The ability of Francisella tularensis, the bacterial pathogen of tularemia, to infect at low levels and cause a high prevalence of illness and death in humans (1) has led to its inclusion in the ranks of potential bioterrorism agents (2). However, endemic forms of a less virulent subspecies of the ...