A Eurosurveillance report on the exceptional tularaemia outbreak this year highlights the surge in cases in central districts – 13 of the 15 hardest-hit municipalities were in the region. The 979 cases registered up to Oct 6 represent a 4-fold increase over the previous 18 years’ averages and almost 75 percent of infections were contracted through insect bites. The report also noted that the current 2019 total ‘is higher than what has been reported in any single year since the end of the 1960s and it is more than are reported from the whole of Europe during a normal year’.
Advice for travellers
The main hosts of tularaemia bacteria in Europe are rabbits, hares and rodents and the majority of infections contracted there are through tick or mosquito bites, or by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is described as often being 'a long and debilitating disease' that can affect the eyes, lymph nodes, skin and lungs. Prevention measures include avoiding insect bites and the ingestion of surface water. Read more on tularaemia.
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.