tularemia

Pronunciation: tū′lă-rē′mē-ă

Definition: A disease caused by Francisella tularensis and transmitted to humans from rodents through the bite of a deer fly, Chrysops discalis, and other bloodsucking insects; can also be acquired directly through the bite of an infected animal or through handling of an infected animal carcass; symptoms, similar to those of undulant fever and plague, are a prolonged intermittent or remittent fever and often swelling and suppuration of the lymph nodes draining the site of infection; rabbits are an important reservoir host.

Synonym(s): deer-fly disease, deer-fly fever, Pahvant Valley fever, Pahvant Valley plague, rabbit fever

[Tulare, Lake and County, CA, + G. haima, blood]

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