VIRAPID® TULAREMIA

VIRapid® TULAREMIA isthe first commercial immunochromatographic test in the marketfor the qualitative detection of total antibodies againstFrancisella tularensis. Tularemia is a highly infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Infections in humans most often result from contact with infected wildlife, ingestion of or contact with contaminated water, or bites from ticks and other arthropods that have fed on infected wildlife. Aerosol transmission is another way humans can become infected. Tularemia occurs throughout much of North America and Eurasia but has a patchy distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Although tularemia is widely endemic in Eurasia, it is typically a disease of Northern and Central Europe; Scandinavia and countries of the former Soviet Union. Most cases now result from arthropod bites during the summer months. Cases during winter are most common in hunters and trappers who handle infected animal carcasses. Recent outbreaks, 585 confirmed human cases in Spain and 327 confirmed cases in Kosovo, attest to the continuous potential for tularemia to jeopardize human health.