Tularemia with vesicular skin lesions may be mistaken for infection with herpes viruses.
The original reports of human infection with Francisella tularensis noted vesicular skin rash as a manifestation. We present 2 cases of tularemia initially diagnosed as herpes simplex or varicella zoster infection. Clinicians must recognize the cutaneous manifestations of tularemia and be able to distinguish these from lesions seen with herpes viruses.
Byington
Carrie L
CL
Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. Carrie.byington@hsc.utah.edu
Bender
Jeffrey M
JM
Ampofo
Krow
K
Pavia
Andrew T
AT
Korgenski
Kent
K
Daly
Judy
J
Christenson
John C
JC
Adderson
Elisabeth
E
D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014406:Tularemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology