The evaluation of pediatric patients with tularemia.

Objective: Tularemia is a zoonotic infectious disease which is caused by Francisella tularensis. In recent years, the changes in the population and distribution of reservoirs and vectors in parallel to the climatic changes and inclusion of tularemia in the list of diseases whose notification are compulsory since 2005 caused an increasing number of cases reported from different regions. As a result, it is understood that F. Tularensis is endemic in Turkey. In that study,13 children with tularemia are presented. The aim of the study is to determine the effects of elapsed time between the onset of symptoms and the admission to the hospital on prognosis. Methods: Thirteen patients diagnosed with tularemia in Children Infection Polyclinic between the years of 2009 and 2011 were taken to the study. They were diagnosed by microagglutination test. The titers of 1/160 and more were accepted as positive. Results: Six patients were female. The median age was 10 years (6-14 yrs). The most common complaints of patients were swellings of the neck and armpits, sore throat and fever. Streptomycin (30 mg/kg/day) was used for 11 patients and gentamicin (5 mg/kg/day) for 1 patient. The median treatment period was 14 days (7-20) for 5 patients who were admitted to the hospital within 7 days and no complications occurred. The median treatment period was calculated as 39 days (24-60) for 8 patients who are admitted to the hospital after 14 days. Conclusions: The treatment period was short for the patients admitted to the hospital within 7 days after the beginning of complaints and any complications did not occur Therefore, when faced with patients who are required distinctive diagnosis of tonsillopharyngitis or lymphadenopathy, the history of living in endemic regions or not and travelling to those regions should be taken into consideration, and in suspect case of tularemia, the treatment should be applied immediately.