Serious tick and arthropod borne infection with lesions and fever, spreading to lungs, lymphatic system, liver, and spleen. Use Francisella Tularensis.Encyclopedia Entry for Tularemia :Tularemia- lemming fever, rabbit fever, deer fly fever, O'Hara disease, Francis disease, Francisella tularensis (G- rods: facultative-straight: zoonoses)Encyclopedia Entry for Tularemia :Tularemia blood test. A blood sample is needed. The sample is sent to a laboratory where it is examined for francisella antibodies using a method called serology. This method checks if your body has produced substances called antibodies to a specific foreign substance ( antigen ), in this case F tularensis. Antibodies are proteins that defend your body against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. If antibodies are present, they are in the serum of your blood. Serum is the liquid portion of blood.There is no special preparation.When the needle is inserted to draw blood, you may feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or bruising. This soon goes away.This blood test is done when tularemia is suspected.A normal result is no antibodies specific for F tularensis are found in the serum. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or may test different specimens. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.If antibodies are detected, there has been exposure to F tularensis. If antibodies are found, it means you either have a current or past infection with F tularensis. In some cases, a single high level of antibodies that are specific to F tularensis means you have an infection. During the early stage of an illness, few antibodies may be detected. Antibody production increases during the course of an infection. For this reason, this test may be repeated several weeks after the first test.Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another, and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Excessive bleeding Fainting or feeling lightheaded Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin) Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken).Tularemia test; Serology for Francisella tularensis.Blood test Blood test.Aoyagi K, Ashihara Y, Kasahara Y. Immunoassays and immunochemistry.Encyclopedia Entry for Tularemia :Tularemia. Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Humans can get the disease through: A bite from an infected tick, horsefly, or mosquito Breathing in infected dirt or plant material Direct contact, through a break in the skin, with an infected animal or its dead body (most often a rabbit, muskrat, beaver, or squirrel) Eating infected meat (rare) The disorder most commonly occurs in North America and parts of Europe and Asia. In the United States, this disease is found more often in Missouri, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Although outbreaks can occur in the United States, they are rare. Some people may develop pneumonia after breathing in infected dirt or plant material. This infection has been known to occur on Martha's Vineyard (Massachusetts), where bacteria are present in rabbits, raccoons, and skunks.Symptoms develop 3 to 5 days after exposure. The illness usually starts suddenly. It may continue for several weeks after symptoms begin. Symptoms include: Fever , chills, sweating Eye irritation ( conjunctivitis , if the infection began in the eye) Headache Joint stiffness, muscle pain Red spot on the skin, growing to become a sore (ulcer) Shortness of breath Weight loss.Tests for the condition include: Blood culture for the bacteria Blood test measuring the body's immune response (antibodies) to the infection ( serology for tularemia ) Chest x-ray Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test of a sample from an ulcer.The goal of treatment is to cure the infection with antibiotics. The antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline are commonly used to treat this infection. Another antibiotic, gentamicin, has been tried as an alternative to streptomycin. Gentamicin seems to be very effective, but it has been studied in only a small number of people because this is a rare disease. The antibiotics tetracycline and chloramphenicol can be used alone, but are not usually a first choice.Tularemia is fatal in about 5% of untreated cases, and in less than 1% of treated cases.Tularemia may lead to these complications: Bone infection ( osteomyelitis ) Infection of the sac around the heart ( pericarditis ) Infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord ( meningitis ) Pneumonia.Call your health care provider if symptoms develop after a rodent bite, tick bite, or exposure to the flesh of a wild animal.Preventive measures include wearing gloves when skinning or dressing wild animals, and staying away from sick or dead animals.Deerfly fever; Rabbit fever; Pahvant Valley plague; Ohara disease; Yato-byo (Japan); Lemming fever.Deer ticks Deer ticks Ticks Ticks Tick imbedded in the skin Tick imbedded in the skin Antibodies Antibodies Bacteria Bacteria.Penn RL. Francisella tularensis (tularemia).Encyclopedia Entry for Tularemia :Tularemia. Source of disease: Francisella tularensis