Dominance of human innate immune responses in primary Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain vaccination

Abstract : Francisella tularensis is the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease, tularemia. An inoculum as small as 10 bacteria can cause a flulike disease with substantial morbidity and mortality among infected humans. Human tularemia presents in ulceroglandular, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, pneumonic, and septic forms. Rapid administration of antibiotics prevents mortality in the majority of human cases if exposure doses are low and nonaerosol. Without early diagnosis and administration of antibiotics, high-dose aerosol exposure progresses rapidly to life threatening pleuropneumonitis and systemic infection. The relative abundance of F tularensis in nature and the relative ease with which it may be administered raise concerns over its exploitation as a biothreat agent.