Tularemic meningitis in the United States

Abstract

Background: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis. Tularemia presents with various clinical illnesses, but meningitis is rare.

Objectives: To describe a patient who developed typhoidal tularemia with atypical acute meningitis and to review the pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, and antibiotic drug treatment of reported cases of tularemic meningitis.

Design: Case study and literature review.

Setting: University hospital, tertiary care center.

Patient: A 21-year-old healthy man who had recently worked as a professional landscaper in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, metropolitan area developed fever, malaise, headache, and a stiff neck.

Main outcome measures: Francisella tularensis cerebrospinal fluid culture, antibiotic sensitivity, transmission source, and outcome.

Results: The cerebrospinal fluid contained a lymphocytic pleocytosis, negative Gram stain, and F tularensis isolation with chloramphenicol and streptomycin antibiotic sensitivities.

Conclusions: Although tularemia is uncommon and tularemic meningitis is rare in the United States, attention is drawn to the increasing number of cases in professional landscapers, the atypical cerebrospinal fluid picture, and unusual antibiotic sensitivities.