Historical distribution and host-vector diversity of Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, in Ukraine
BACKGROUND: Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, is a zoonotic agent that remains across much of the northern hemisphere, where it exists in enzootic cycles. In Ukraine, tularemia has a long history that suggests a need for sustained surveillance in natural foci. To better characterize the host-vector diversity and spatial distribution of tularemia, we analyzed historical data from field collections carried out from 1941 to 2008. FINDINGS: We analyzed the spatial-temporal distribution of bacterial isolates collected from field samples.