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Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis
Categories: Zoonotic; notifiable diseases and bacteria
Etymology: Genus name: named after the American bacteriologist Edward Francis, who has studied tularemia.
Species epithet: refers to Tulare county in California, where the disease was first described in rodents in year 1912.
Subspecies epithet: see Species epithet.
Significance:F. tularensis subsp. tularensis can only be found in North America.
  [Very important]   
Alternative Species Name(s):Yersinia tularensis
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Pseudomonadota
Class
Gammaproteobacteria
Order
Thiotrichales
Family
Francisellaceae 
Genus
Francisella
Type Strain: B-38 = ATCC 6223.
Macromorphology (smell):
Micromorphology: Coccoid or short nonmotile rods.
Gram +/Gram -:G-
Metabolism: Strikt aerob
Catalase/Oxidase:+/-
Other Enzymes: Tryptophanase - (= indole-), urease -.
Fermentation of carbohydrates: Glucose +
Spec. Char.: Optimal growth temperature: 37°C. Facultatively intracellular. May penetrate intact skin.
Vector: Mosquitoes and ticks.
Disease:
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
HumansTularemi (rabbit fever)Fever, headache and nausea. Local swelling (abscess) at the site of infection and nearest lymph node. If transmission via contaminated water sores in the mouth and throat.
Rabbits and other rodentsTularemi (harpest)Septicaemia
Virulence Factors: The capsule can be a virulence factor.
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
NC_006570 Schu S4 1 892 819 1c + 0 

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
Z21931 ATCC 6223T 1 521 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
 
Nine species have been described within genus Francisella and this genus is related to Coxiella spp. and Legionella spp.
Legislation: Tularemia is notifiable in Sweden. Francisella tularensis belongs to category A as a potential bioterrorism agent according to NIAID.
Comment:F. tularensis subsp. tularensis is the most virulent subspecies.
Reference(s): No. 25
Updated:2023-03-29

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