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. 2004 Mar;10(3):483-6.
doi: 10.3201/eid1003.030695.

First reported prairie dog-to-human tularemia transmission, Texas, 2002

Swati B Avashia  1 , Jeannine M Petersen, Connie M Lindley, Martin E Schriefer, Kenneth L Gage, Marty Cetron, Thomas A DeMarcus, David K Kim, Jan Buck, John A Montenieri, Jennifer L Lowell, Michael F Antolin, Michael Y Kosoy, Leon G Carter, May C Chu, Katherine A Hendricks, David T Dennis, Jacob L Kool
Affiliations

First reported prairie dog-to-human tularemia transmission, Texas, 2002

Swati B Avashia et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Mar.

Abstract

A tularemia outbreak, caused by Francisella tularensis type B, occurred among wild-caught, commercially traded prairie dogs. F. tularensis microagglutination titers in one exposed person indicated recent infection. These findings represent the first evidence for prairie-dog-to-human tularemia transmission and demonstrate potential human health risks of the exotic pet trade.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Weekly prairie-dog deaths at facility A, Texas, April–August, 2002. a Arrows represent prairie dog shipments arriving at facility A from Texas (TX) and South Dakota (SD).b No data are available for the week of July 15, when the outbreak was first noticed by facility A staff.
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