To provide clinical data on fluoroquinolone treatment of severe pulmonary tularaemia and describe outcomes from a series of patients treated at a center in Austria from December 2023 to December 2025.
Approach:
Patient Cases: Six patients with pulmonary tularaemia were analyzed, all presenting with acute febrile illness and varying levels of oxygenation support.
Diagnostic Methods: Diagnosis was confirmed through microbiological evidence of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica, including PCR and blood cultures.
Treatment Regimens: Patients received empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobials initially, followed by targeted therapy with fluoroquinolones and doxycycline.
Key Findings:
All patients showed marked systemic inflammation and pulmonary involvement.
Five out of six patients required a switch to targeted therapy after initial broad-spectrum treatment was ineffective.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study is based on a small case series of six patients.
Federal prosecutors allege that a Florida physician and research staff fabricated clinical trial records that were submitted into database systems used to evaluate investigational drugs.
