Tularemia is a bacterial disease of humans, wild, and domestic animals. Francisella tularensis, which is a Gram-negative coccobacillus-shaped bacterium, is the causative agent of tularemia. Recently, an increase in the number of human tularemia cases has been noticed in several countries around the world. It has been reported mostly from North America, several Scandinavian countries, and certain Asian countries. The disease spreads through vectors such as mosquitoes, horseflies, deer flies, and ticks. Humans can acquire the disease through direct contact of sick animals, consumption of infected animals, drinking or direct contact of contaminated water, and inhalation of bacteria-loaded aerosols. Low infectious dose, aerosol route of infection, and its ability to induce fatal disease make it a potential agent of biological warfare. Tularemia leads to several clinical forms, such as glandular, ulceroglandular, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, respiratory, and typhoidal forms. The disease is diagnosed through the use of culture, serology, or molecular methods. Quinolones, tetracyclines, or aminoglycosides are frequently used in the treatment of tularemia. No licensed vaccine is available in the prophylaxis of tularemia and this is need of the time and high-priority research area. This review mostly focuses on general features, importance, current status, and preventive measures of this disease.

• Klíčová slova
• Francisella tularensis, Tularemia, Vector-borne infection,
• MeSH
• antibakteriální látky terapeutické užití   MeSH
• biologické bojové látky MeSH
• Francisella tularensis izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nemoci přenášené klíšťaty farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• objevující se infekční nemoci farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• přenos infekční nemoci prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• tularemie farmakoterapie   epidemiologie   mikrobiologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antibakteriální látky MeSH
• biologické bojové látky MeSH

There are three most important bacterial causative agents of serious infections that could be misused for warfare purposes: Bacillus anthracis (the causative agent of anthrax) is the most frequently mentioned one; however, Fracisella tularensis (causing tularemia) and Yersinia pestis (the causative agent of plague) are further bacterial agents enlisted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention into the category A of potential biological weapons. This review intends to summarize basic information about these bacterial agents. Military aspects of their pathogenesis and the detection techniques suitable for field use are discussed.

• MeSH
• antrax mikrobiologie   MeSH
• Bacillus anthracis * izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• biologická válka MeSH
• biologické bojové látky * MeSH
• Francisella tularensis * izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mor mikrobiologie   MeSH
• tularemie mikrobiologie   MeSH
• Yersinia pestis * izolace a purifikace   patogenita   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Spojené státy americké MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biologické bojové látky * MeSH

A total of 151 bacterial isolates were recovered from different developmental stages (larvae, nymphs and adults) of field-collected ticks (67 strains from Ixodes ricinus, 38 from Dermacentor reticulatus, 46 from Haemaphysalis concinna). Microorganisms were identified by means of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Almost 87 % of the strains belonged to G(+) bacteria with predominantly occurring genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus. Other G(+) strains included Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Frigoribacterium, Kocuria, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Plantibacter, Rhodococcus, Rothia, and Staphylococcus. G(-) strains occurred less frequently, comprising genera Advenella, Pseudomonas, Rahnella, Stenotrophomonas, and Xanthomonas. Several strains of medical importance were found, namely Advenella incenata, Corynebacterium aurimucosum, Microbacterium oxydans, M. schleiferi, Staphylococcus spp., and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Data on cultivable microbial diversity in Eurasian tick species D. reticulatus and H. concinna are given, along with the extension of present knowledge concerning bacterial flora of I. ricinus.

• MeSH
• arachnida jako vektory růst a vývoj   mikrobiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• Bacteria klasifikace   genetika   izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• DNA bakterií genetika   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• infestace klíšťaty parazitologie   MeSH
• Ixodidae růst a vývoj   mikrobiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• obratlovci parazitologie   MeSH
• ribozomální DNA genetika   MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 16S genetika   MeSH
• techniky typizace bakterií MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA bakterií MeSH
• ribozomální DNA MeSH
• RNA ribozomální 16S MeSH

Piezoelectric biosensor was used for diagnosis of infection by Francisellatularensis subsp. holarctica in European brown hares. Two kinds of experiments wereperformed in this study. First, sera from experimentally infected European brown hares(Lepus europaeus) were assayed by piezoelectric biosensor and the seventh day postinfection was found as the first one when statistically significant diagnosis of tularemia waspossible; all other sera collected from hares later than on day 7 following the infection werefound tularemia positive. Typing to classify the field strain of F. tularensis used for theexperimental infection was confirmed by proteome study. Second, sera from 35 Europeanbrown hare specimens sampled at hunting grounds and tested as tularemia positive by slowagglutination allowed diagnosis of tularemia by the piezoelectric biosensor. All these sera ofnaturally infected hares were found as tularemia positive, too. Efficacy of the piezoelectricbiosensor for the serological diagnosis of tularemia is discussed.

• Klíčová slova
• Francisella tularensis, agglutination test, experimental and natural infection, immunosensor, reservoir host, serology, zoonosis,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Tularaemia, a zoonosis of veterinary and public health importance, commonly occurs in the Czech Republic as well as other countries of Northern Hemisphere. The objective of this study was to analyse the environmental conditions of distribution of natural foci of tularaemia and their long-term persistence in the Czech Republic. A geographic information system has been used for this purpose. A new variable (chi(t)), the mean number of natural foci in a specific area, has been suggested for the evaluation of diseases occurring in natural foci. Comparing two 15-year periods, a close correlation between the geographic distribution and numbers of natural foci of tularaemia in the Czech Republic in 1971-1985 and 1986-2000 (r = 0.91, n = 1814, t = 92.50, p = 0.01) was found. Natural foci of tularaemia have been persistent, but not stationary, over the period of 30 years and the geographic area of their occurrence has not been considerably growing or diminishing in the Czech Republic. The highest numbers of natural foci of tularaemia were in habitats of alluvial forests (chi(t) = 7.20), geographic areas of up to 200 m of elevation above sea (chi(t) = 9.18), 8.1-10.0 degrees C of mean annual air temperature (chi(t) = 6.24), 450-700 mm of mean annual precipitation (chi(t) = 2.84), and 2001-2200 hour of mean annual sunshine duration (chi(t) = 8.77). It was proved that tularaemia persists in specific areas of natural foci, the general environmental conditions of which can be defined and make it possible to predict the occurrence of tularaemia in other areas of suitable conditions.

• MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• Francisella tularensis izolace a purifikace   MeSH
• geografické informační systémy MeSH
• hlodavci mikrobiologie   MeSH
• infekce přenášené vektorem MeSH
• prevalence MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• stromy MeSH
• tularemie epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• zdroje nemoci * MeSH
• životní prostředí * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH