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Volume 16, Number 2—February 2010
Research

Investigating an Airborne Tularemia Outbreak, Germany

Anja M. HauriComments to Author , Iris Hofstetter, Erik Seibold, Philip Kaysser, Juergen Eckert, Heinrich Neubauer, and Wolf D. Splettstoesser1
Author affiliations: Hesse State Health Office, Dillenburg, Germany (A.M. Hauri); Public Health Authority Darmstadt-Dieburg, Darmstadt, Germany (I. Hofstetter, J. Eckert); National Reference Laboratory for Tularemia, Munich, Germany (E. Seibold, P. Kaysser, W.D. Splettstoesser); Institute of Bacterial Zoonoses, Jena, Germany (H. Neubauer).

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Table 3

Ecologic characteristics of the outbreak area in Germany and of natural habitats correlated with a high number of tularemia foci in the Czech Republic

Characteristic Outbreak area, Germany, 2005 Natural habitats in the Czech Republic with high numbers of tularemia foci (19)
Elevation above sea level 88–112 m Up to 200 m
Mean annual air temperature 10.0°C (1994–2004)* 8.1–10.00°C
Mean annual precipitation 673.5 mm (1994–2004)* 450–700 mm
Habitat Single trees along a creek, alluvial forest-like field biotope, surrounded by areas of intensive agriculture Alluvial forests, field biotopes
Mean annual sunshine duration 1,685 h (1994–2004)* 2,001–2,200 h

*Ten-year period preceding the year in which the outbreak occurred.

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1Current affiliation: University Hospital Rostock, Rostock, Germany.

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Page updated: December 10, 2010
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