Tularemia in children.

Objective: Tularemia, an infection caused by the coccobacilus Francisella tularensis, can be a difficult disease process to diagnose and treat. The aim of this study was to evaluate an epidemic of tularemia in Bursa.

Methods: In this study, we included only pediatric cases. All the cases were diagnosed on clinical and serological grounds.

Results: During an epidemic of tularemia in a village of Bursa on December 2004, 70 people (60 adults, 10 children) fell ill. In children with tularemia, the oropharyngeal form predominated which was diagnosed 70% of cases. Most of the patients (80%) who had older than 10 years old, were treated with doxycycline. All patients recovered without complications.

Conclusion: The epidemic was thought to be waterborne. The vehicle of the infections was inadequately treated water which was used by the patient in the village.