Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln are collaborating on a $100,000 pilot study to conduct
basic research on Francisella tularensis an organism that if used as
a bioweapon, can cause tularemia, a potentially fatal disease.
The project is supported by the University of Nebraska and Tobacco Settlement
Funds through a program initiated by Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., UNMC vice chancellor
for research, and Prem Paul, Ph.D., UN-L vice chancellor for research and
dean of graduate studies.
Tularemia, also known as “rabbit fever,” is caused by a natural occurring
bacterium found typically in wild animals, especially rodents, rabbits,
and hares, and occasionally in pets such as cats. People come in contact
with F. tularensis in a variety of ways, including through the bite of
an infected insect, usually a tick or deerfly, handling infected animal
carcasses, eating or drinking contaminated food or water, or breathing
the bacteria.
UNMC began the work in the last couple months as part of a continued
plan to expand infectious disease research and build academic and research
centers of excellence.
UNMC has received approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) to serve as a repository for bacteria such as Francisella
tularensis. UNMC researchers, in collaboration with scientists at UNL,
are gathering information on the genetic makeup of the organism by performing
tests to define the differences in multiple strains of F. tularensis.
Weve always known that F. Tularensis is a highly infectious organism,
said Paul Fey, Ph.D., UNMC assistant professor of internal medicine. But
it hasnt been a priority for the National Institutes of Health until now.
This is a unique opportunity for scientists and academicians to study
this important organism and we hope our research will be an academic exercise
that contributes to prevention of an attack, Dr. Fey said.
F. Tularensis recently was classified by the U.S. government as a Category
A agent, which has the greatest potential for causing harm if used in a
bioterrorist attack. It can be dispersed in the air through aerosolization
and inhaled in the lungs, similar to how bacillus anthracis (the bacterium
that causes anthrax) and the smallpox virus can be used.
This agent poses a high potential threat for use in bioterrorism and
a risk to national security, said Pete Iwen, Ph.D., UNMC assistant professor
of pathology and microbiology. Theres no good vaccine available for public
use. In the past, it had limited use in the protection of lab workers and
military personnel, but the FDA is reevaluating the vaccine because of
problems associated with it.
About 200 cases of tularemia, three to four in Nebraska, are diagnosed
annually, Dr. Fey said. The death rate can be 40 to 60 percent if inhaled.
Right now, theres not a great deal known about how the organism causes
disease, Dr. Fey said.
In the United States, tularemia is almost always a rural disease, according
to the CDC, and is not known to be spread from person to person. People
who have been exposed should be treated as soon as possible with antibiotics.
The disease includes flu-like symptoms, and sometimes causes pneumonia
which can result in chest pain, bloody sputum and breathing problems. Other
symptoms depend on how a person was exposed. These symptoms can include
ulcers on the skin, swollen and painful lymph glands, swollen and painful
eyes, and a severe sore throat. Symptoms usually appear three to five days
after exposure to the bacteria, but can take as long as 14 days.
Drs. Fey and Iwen and others, are conducting basic research to learn
more about the genetic makeup of F. tularensis to understand what genes
or proteins in the organism cause the disease and ultimately develop an
antigen a vaccine for protection against the organism.
“We hope that our experience working with F. tularensis and other similar
agents will enable us to expand our knowledge base and receive more funding,
Dr. Fey said.
To become involved in the national effort to combat bioterrorism, we
asked where we could get involved that would give us the most opportunity,
Dr. Iwen said. The literature showed there were many unanswered questions
in tularensis research. Since we have one of the few laboratories in the
U.S. approved by the CDC to conduct research on organisms such as F. tularensis,
which requires high containment capabilities, we saw this as an opportunity.
UNMC and UNL researchers have applied for a $26 million grant to the
National Institutes of Health, with the ultimate goal of finding a new
vaccine to prevent tularemia. The 4-inch-thick grant proposal names Steven
Hinrichs, M.D., as the principal investigator, along with 29 researchers
representing nine institutions in the midwest. Dr. Hinrichs is a UNMC professor
of pathology and microbiology and director of the Nebraska Health System
microbiology and virology laboratories.