An endemic case of tularemia in the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) on the island of Stora Karlsö.
In September 1983, an epizootic of unknown cause broke out among the mountain hares on the island of Stora Karlsö, which is located outside the coast of Gotland. One hare was sent in the National Veterinary Institute for post-mortem examination. The hare showed lesions in liver, spleen, and bone-marrow typical for tularemia. The specimens were positive for Francisella tularensis with fluorescent-antibody test. Tularemia has not been observed earlier in this part of Sweden. It is supposed that the disease might have been spread to Stora Karlsö with migrating birds from Finland, where there was an epizootic of tularemia during the summer 1983.
D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000276:immunology; D007793:Lagomorpha / Q000382:microbiology*; D008322:Mammals / Q000382:microbiology*; D014406:Tularemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology