Francisella tularensis ssp. holarctica in Ringtail Possums, Australia

Abstract

The occurrence of Francisella tularensis outside of endemic areas, such as North America and Eurasia, has been enigmatic. We report the metagenomic discovery and isolation of F. tularensis ssp. holarctica biovar japonica from diseased ringtail possums in Sydney, Australia. This finding confirms the presence of F. tularensis in the Southern Hemisphere.

Keywords

• tularemia
• Francisella tularensis
• ringtail possum
• Pseudocheirus peregrinus
• Australia
• metagenomics