Environmental surveillance during an outbreak of tularaemia in hares, the Netherlands, 2015

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 22; no. 35; p. 18
• Main Authors: Janse, Ingmar, Maas, Miriam, Rijks, Jolianne M, Koene, Miriam, van der Plaats, Rozemarijn Qj, Engelsma, Marc, van der Tas, Peter, Braks, Marieta, Stroo, Arjan, Notermans, Daan W, de Vries, Maaike C, Reubsaet, Frans, Fanoy, Ewout, Swaan, Corien, Kik, Marja Jl, IJzer, Jooske, Jaarsma, Ryanne I, van Wieren, Sip, de Roda-Husman, Ana Maria, van Passel, Mark, Roest, Hendrik-Jan, van der Giessen, Joke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Centre Europeen pour la Surveillance Epidemiologique du SIDA (European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS) 31.08.2017; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteriologie & Epidemiologie; Bacteriology & Epidemiology; CS Projectmedewerkers; CVI Bacteriologie en Epidemiologie; CVI Bacteriology and Epidemiology; CVI Diagnostics and Crisis; CVI Diagnostiek en Crisisorganisatie; Diagnostics & Crisis Organization; Diagnostiek & Crisisorganisatie; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Environmental Monitoring; Epidemics; Francisella tularensis; Gram-negative bacteria; Hares - microbiology; Laboratorium voor Microbiologie; Land Use Planning; Landgebruiksplanning; Leerstoelgroep Landgebruiksplanning; Leerstoelgroep Resource Ecology; Microbiological Laboratory; Microbiologie; Microbiology; Netherlands - epidemiology; NVAO Programmes; PE&RC; Projectmedewerkers; Rabbits; Resource Ecology; Surveillance and Outbreak Report; Tularemia - epidemiology; Tularemia - microbiology; Tularemia - veterinary; Zoonoses; Netherlands; re-emerging diseases; outbreaks; environmental surveillance; tularaemia; zoonosis; Francisella tularensis
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1025-496X; 1560-7917
• DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.35.30607

Tularaemia, a disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, is a re-emerging zoonosis in the Netherlands. After sporadic human and hare cases occurred in the period 2011 to 2014, a cluster of F. tularensis-infected hares was recognised in a region in the north of the Netherlands from February to May 2015. No human cases were identified, including after active case finding. Presence of F. tularensis was investigated in potential reservoirs and transmission routes, including common voles, arthropod vectors and surface waters. F. tularensis was not detected in common voles, mosquito larvae or adults, tabanids or ticks. However, the bacterium was detected in water and sediment samples collected in a limited geographical area where infected hares had also been found. These results demonstrate that water monitoring could provide valuable information regarding F. tularensis spread and persistence, and should be used in addition to disease surveillance in wildlife.