Tularemia

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Brief description of the disease

Tularemia is an infectious disease characterized by natural focus, causing inflammatory processes at the site of pathogens penetration, regional lymphadenitis, fever and general intoxication of the body. The causative agent of tularemia can persist for a long time in unfavorable conditions, therefore, in the absence of treatment, the disease slopes towards a protracted course and develops into a chronic form.

In places where tularemia is common, vaccination is compulsory for the entire population, with the exception of children under 7 years of age and those who have contraindications to the vaccine. The first vaccination is a single dose, the second vaccination is carried out every 5 years. As for the definition of disadvantaged regions. These include areas where cases of tularemia infection have been reported, or areas where tularemia antigens are regularly isolated from environmental objects. In other cases, vaccination of the population concerns only people belonging to risk groups.

What happens when a pathogen enters the body?

The main sources of tularemia are water rats, mice, hares and other rodents. Sick people are not dangerous, that is, if you are diagnosed with tularemia, the symptoms of the disease should only worry you. Your family members, work colleagues, and close friends are not at risk of tularemia. You can catch tularemia when bacteria can enter the body through scratches and other damage to the skin or mucous membranes. Another common route of infection is by drinking water contaminated by rodents.

Immediately after penetration into the human body, the causative agent of tularemia begins to multiply vigorously and, sooner or later, bacteria spread to all organs and systems. They settle mainly in the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and lungs. If tularemia begins to develop, symptoms usually appear after 3-6 days. Patients have a sudden fever, muscle pain, nausea, headache. Note that the temperature often reaches critical levels, therefore, when tularemia is diagnosed, treatment should begin immediately after the correct diagnosis is made.

The clinical picture of tularemia

The characteristic features of tularemia largely depend on how the bacteria entered the body. The most common form of infection is bubonic tularemia, which develops as a result of skin lesions. Let's list the most obvious symptoms of tularemia:

the appearance of festering ulcers at the site of bacteria penetration;
constant itching in the area of damaged skin;
an increase in lymph nodes (can reach a diameter of 5-9 cm);
suppuration of lymph nodes, followed by rupture of the focus and the release of thick, creamy pus.

In some cases, pustules dissolve on their own, but we do not advise you to wait "by the sea of the weather", because the self-destruction process is very long, and ulcers look quite unpleasant and significantly reduce the quality of human life. In addition, cutaneous tularemia, which is easy to diagnose, responds well to treatment. This is another compelling reason to not delay your doctor's appointment.

A few words about other forms of tularemia:

ocular tularemia - develops as a result of the penetration of pathogens into the conjunctiva of the eye;
angio-bubonic form - caused by the ingress of bacteria into the human mouth. The symptoms of the disease are similar to angina, but it is much more severe - with high fever, severe fever and a significant increase in the cervical lymph nodes;
abdominal tularemia - accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, open intestinal bleeding (not all patients appear). In this case, the symptoms of infection are similar to appendicitis, which makes it difficult to make a correct diagnosis;
pulmonary tularemia - caused by the entry of pathogens into the lungs. The disease is difficult, accompanied by severe chest pains. If a patient is diagnosed with pulmonary tularemia, vaccination is an obligatory stage of treatment, since there is a real possibility of developing serious complications (abscesses) and irreversible deformities of the lungs.

Tularemia treatment

Antibiotics are the drugs of choice for tularemia. The cutaneous form of tularemia is not dangerous for a person and can go away on its own, but specific treatment allows you to speed up this process, saves a person from contemplating ugly ulcers. The pulmonary form causes much more dramatic consequences and requires an integrated approach with the obligatory constant monitoring of the patient's condition.

Prevention of tularemia consists in routine vaccination of the population. The risk group includes people living in the floodplains of rivers, as well as workers of enterprises specializing in the harvesting of muskrat skins, water rats and hares.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!