Tularemia is a bacterial infection that is transmitted to humans from an infected animal or insect.
Tularemia is caused by the bacterium, Francisella tularensis. Transmission of this infection is usually from the bite of wild or domesticated animals as well as ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes that are infected with this organism. A person may also become infected just by coming in contact with an infected animal (by skinning an infected rabbit, for example) or from the bite of a blood-sucking insect.
The Francisella tularensis bacteria cause tularemia. A person risks exposure to this bacteria from: