Epidemic of tularemia in Kosovo

Pristina, 11 February 2015 (MIA) - The committee for the prevention of infectious diseases at the Kosovo’s Ministry of Health declared an epidemic of tularemia in the country. All the teams on the ground are activated in order to prevent new cases of the disease.

Pristina media told that 206 cases of tularaemia were reported from January 1, 2014 to February 10, 2015 were reported. The disease is registered in central and eastern part of Kosovo.

So far there was not a single fatal case of this disease.

An outbreak of tularemia already occurred in Kosovo in 1999-2000. From 1999 until now, 1,469 cases of tularemia were reported.

Tularemia is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Rabbits, hares, and rodents are especially susceptible and often die in large numbers during outbreaks. Humans can become infected through several routes, including: tick and deer fly bites, skin contact with infected animals, ingestion of contaminated water, laboratory exposure, inhalation of contaminated dusts or aerosols.