Francisella tularensis in muscle from diseased hares - a risk factor for humans?

Abstract

Tularemia caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis is a zoonotic disease. Tularemia is a common disease in the hare, and as a game species can be an important source of infection for humans. In this study, hares diagnosed with tularemia were examined with the aim to investigate whether the muscle (meat) had any pathological changes and/or contained F. tularensis. Real-time PCR and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected the bacteria in muscle samples from 40 out of 43 investigated hares. IHC showed that bacteria were few and most commonly located in the peri- and endomysium. Histopathology showed occasional perimysial necroses and mild inflammation in association to the bacteria. Attempts to culture from 14 muscle samples were successful in two cases, both stored in the freezer

Keywords

Francisella; hare meat; immunohistochemistry; pathology; tularemia

Published in

Epidemiology and Infection
2017, volume: 145, number: 16, pages: 3449-3454
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Hestvik, Gete

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • National Veterinary Institute (SVA)

• Södersten, Fredrik

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Gavier Widén, Dolores

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • National Veterinary Institute (SVA)

UKÄ Subject classification

Pathobiology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268817002540

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/93386