[pct-l] Tularemia

[brick@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Brick Robbins)]

Never heard of it before.

Cool stuff. Hope I never get it, especially since Deerflies carry it
too.... Another reason to kill the buggers


 From http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/admin/pdf/newsrel_tularemia_12-03-02.pdf

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Q. What is the potential for tularemia as a biological weapon?

A. Francisella tularensis, the organism that causes tularemia, is one of
the most infectious pathogenic
bacteria known, requiring inoculation or inhalation of as few as 10
organisms to cause disease. It is consider
ed to be a dangerous potential biological weapon because of its extreme
infectivity, ease of dissemination, and
substantial capacity to cause illness and death.

During World War II, the potential of F. tularensis as a biological weapon,
was studied by the Japanese as
well as by the US and its allies.

Tularemia was one of several biological weapons that were stockpiled by the
US military in the late 1960's,
all of which were destroyed by 1973. The Soviet Union continued weapons
production of antibiotic and
vaccine resistant strains into the early 1990s.

Francisella tularensis is a hardy non-spore forming organism that is
capable of surviving for weeks at low
temperatures in water, moist soil, hay, straw or decaying animal carcasses.

--
Brick Robbins                       mailto:brick@fastpack.com