Pneumonic tularaemia: experience of 58 cases from 2000 to 2012 in Northern Finland

Abstract

Background: Pneumonic tularaemia is less common clinical form of tularaemia compared with the ulceroglandular form, with only a limited number of case reports and case series in Europe. In Finland, Northern Ostrobothnia is an endemic area of tularaemia with occasional seasonal outbreaks.

Methods: In our study, a consecutive series of 58 pneumonic tularaemia cases diagnosed and treated in Oulu University Hospital in 2000–2012 were retrospectively analysed in terms of epidemiology, clinical course, and prognosis.

Results: The incidence of pneumonic tularaemia showed peaks in cycles of a few years and most cases were diagnosed in late summer or early autumn. Respiratory symptoms were absent in 47% of patients, and 7% had normal chest X-ray. The chest computed tomography (CT) was performed in 81% of patients, demonstrating variable findings associated with pneumonic tularaemia. Bronchoscopy was performed for 22 (38%) patients and four (18%) of these also proceeded into mediastinoscopy. Moreover, thoracoscopy was performed for one (2%) patient. Two (3%) patients were treated shortly in the intensive care unit (ICU) during their stay in hospital. No mortality was observed.

Conclusions: Most cases of pneumonic tularaemia are diagnosed during the seasonal outbreaks. The lack of specific symptoms often complicates the diagnosis and leads to unnecessarily invasive examinations.

Keywords:

• Francisella tularensis
• pneumonic tularaemia
• tularaemia

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.