Investigating an Airborne Tularemia Outbreak, Germany

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Hauri, Anja M. ; Hofstetter, Iris ; Seibold, Erik ; Kaysser, Philip ; Eckert, Juergen ; Neubauer, Heinrich ; Splettstoesser, Wolf D.
• Description:
  In November 2005, an outbreak of tularemia occurred among 39 participants in a hare hunt in Hesse, Germany. Previously reported tularemia outbreaks in Germany dated back to the 1950s. We conducted a retrospective cohort study among participants and investigated the environment to identify risk factors for infection. Ten participants had serologic evidence of acute Francisella tularensis infection; 1 other participant died before laboratory confirmation was obtained. Presence within 5 meters of the place where disemboweled hares were rinsed with a water hose was the risk factor most strongly associated with infection (risk ratio 22.1; 95% confidence interval 13.2-154.3). Swabs taken at the game chamber and water samples were PCR negative for F. tularensis. Eleven of 14 hare parts showed low-level concentrations of F. tularensis, compatible with cross-contamination. More than half of case-patients may have acquired infection through inhalation of aerosolized droplets containing F. tularensis generated during rinsing of infected hares.
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Aerosols Aged Animals Child Disease Outbreaks Francisella Tularensis Hares Humans Inhalation Exposure Male Middle Aged Odds Ratio Polymerase Chain Reaction Retrospective Studies Serologic Tests Tularemia Young Adult Zoonoses

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• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 16(2):238-243.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Germany
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  2
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:aa0ca3c4f273c036c509d4da25404e4835f4e006dfaa2119928c03a5d3651986
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/17807/cdc_17807_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 154.11 KB ]