Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of the disease tularemia. Inhalation of infected dust leads to the respiratory form of the disease, while transmission by arthropods or direct contact with an infected animal causes the ulceroglandular form of the disease. Lethality in mouse model is much more dependent on the route of infection than on the genetic background of mice. LD₅₀ after i.d. infection with F tularensis LVS at both — either susceptible (BALB/c) or resistant (C57Bl/ 10) mouse strain is higher than 1x107 microbes per mouse [1]. On the Other hand, LD₅₀ after aerogenic infection is 3x10¹ microbe/mouse of strain BALB/c and 1x10² microbe/mouse of strain C57Bl/10 [3].

Keywords: Francisella tularensis