Epidemiologic Study of Human Tularemia Reported in Missouri, 1949-65

• Published in: Public health reports (1896) 1967-07, Vol.82 (7), p.627-632, Article 627
• Main Authors: Assal, N, Blenden, D C, Price, E R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age groups; Aged; Animals; Child; Disease Reservoirs; Disease Vectors; Epidemiology; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Humans; Infections; Male; Middle Aged; Missouri; Mortality; Public health; Rabbits; Rodents; Ticks; Tularemia; Tularemia - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0094-6214; 0033-3549; 1468-2877
• DOI: 10.2307/4593087

A total of 536 cases of tularemia have been reported to the Division of Health of Missouri during the period 1949-65. These cases form the basis for an epidemiologic analysis which reveals certain characteristics of the disease, influenced to unmeasurable extent by reporting bias. Although tularemia is popularly associated with wild rabbits, the disease appears to be transmitted more often by infected ticks. Of 536 cases of illness reported in Missouri in the period 1949-65, 25.9 percent were known to be transmitted by contact with ticks, while only 13.4 percent were transmitted by contact with infected rabbits. More than 58 percent had an unknown source of contact. The white male between the ages of 11 and 70 years, residing in the southern half of Missouri, seems most prone to infection (or the likelihood of his infection being reported is greatest). This person is at greatest risk when his activities expose him to ticks in the summer and rabbits in the winter. The probability of the patient dying from the disease is low, especially if he receives appropriate therapy.