Epidemiological Review of Francisella Tularensis: A Case Study in the Complications of Dual Diagnoses

Discussion This case study illustrated not only the veracity of the maxim “chance favors the prepared mind” exquisitely because of the judicious, albeit auspicious, identification of the assiduous bacterium by the owner’s veterinarian, but also the high level of patient care that can potentially be achieved when veterinary personnel actively foster working relationships with their local public health counterparts. In this case, the owner was prophylactically treated with doxycycline for F. tularensis exposure within 24 hours of being bitten and given the rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (human rabies immune globulin [HRIG] and the rabies vaccine) the same day of being bitten. This is the good news. On the other hand, the FADL immunodiagnostic personnel were not prepared and were unaware of the potential tularemia-positive sample up until the veterinarian called and identified the possibility the next day. As a result, four FADL laboratory personnel were potentially exposed to the positive sample while handling it under standard operating procedures. As a precautionary measure, the four FADL personnel initially associated with the tularemia cat head were sent to Occupational Health at San Antonio Military Medical Center. Fortunately, each individual that was examined by an infectious disease physician were deemed to be low risk (minimal exposure risk due to the laboratory personnel using appropriate gloves, surgical masks, nonsterile gowns, and handling the sample wi...
Source: PLOS Currents Outbreaks - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Source Type: research