Tularemia, also referred to as Deerfly Fever or Rabbit Fever, is a bacterial zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis that affects >250 species of wild and domestic mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and people. Francisella tularensis was originally isolated in 1911 by McCoy and Chapin, from ground squirrels with a plague-like illness in Tulare County, California, during the investigation of a tick-borne plague outbreak in San Francisco. In 1914, Wherry and Lamb established that this plague-like disease, associated with rodents, could infect humans. Dr. Edward Francis defined and characterized the organism, and the disease associated with it. Dr. Francis experienced the disease four times during the course of his laboratory investigations with the organisms.
Tularemia occurs in domestic and wild animals, such as rabbits, prairie dogs and water voles. Humans usually become infected via contact with infected animals or contaminated articles and animal products. Tularemia predominantly presents as a cutaneous infection, but may occur in gastrointestinal and inhalational forms.

• History of Development as A Weapon
• Epidemiology and Epizootology
• Etiology and Pathogenesis
• Transmission
• Clinical Manifestations
• Diagnosis and Treatment
• Sources of further information
• References