Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to cure the infection with antibiotic treatment. Streptomycin and tetracycline are commonly used to treat this infection. Once daily gentamycin treatment has been tried with excellent results as an alternative therapy to streptomycin, though only a few cases have been studied to date.

Note: oral tetracycline is usually not prescribed for children until after all their permanent teeth have erupted. It can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming.

Expectations (prognosis):

Tularemia is fatal in about 5% of untreated cases, and in less than 1% of treated cases.

Complications:

• Meningitis
• Osteomyelitis
• Pericarditis
• Pneumonia

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms develop after a rodent bite, tick bite, or exposure to the flesh of a wild animal.