Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough anyone of any age can develop tularemia, engaging in certain occupations or activities or living in certain areas pose a greater risk.
Living in or visiting certain areas
In the United States, people living in or visiting areas of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma may be at greater risk because of the concentration of ticks in those areas.
Having certain hobbies or occupations
The following can increase your risk of developing tularemia:
- Hunting and trapping. Because hunters handle wild animals, are exposed to animal blood and may eat their flesh, they're at risk of tularemia.
- Gardening or landscaping. Gardeners and landscapers may also be at risk of tularemia. They are more likely to develop pneumonic tularemia, one of the least common and most deadly forms of the disease. It's possible that gardeners inhale bacteria that are stirred up while working the soil or when using mowers and weed trimmers.
- Working in wildlife management or veterinary medicine. People who work with wildlife are at increased risk of tularemia.
References
- Tularemia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/tularemia/index.html. Accessed May 4, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9122226. Accessed May 4, 2012.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed May 4, 2012.
- Graham J, et al. Tick-borne illnesses: A CME update. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2011;27:141.
- Snowden J, et al. Tularemia: Retrospective review of 10 years' experience in Arkansas. Clinical Pediatrics. 2011;50:64.
- Conlan JW. Tularemia vaccines: Recent developments and remaining hurdles. Future Microbiology. 2011;6:391.
- Safe minimum cooking temperatures. FoodSafety.gov. http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Game from farm to table. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/farm_raised_game/index.asp. Accessed May 15, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on