Fatal infection caused by Francisella tularensisin a neutropenic bone marrow transplant recipient.

Francisella tularensis is one of the most infectious pathogenic bacteria known. Even though immunity against this organism is thought to be primarily T cell mediated, some evidence suggests that neutrophils may also play an important protective role. We report a case of tularemia in a neutropenic bone marrow transplant recipient that sheds light on the importance of neutrophils in protection against this infection and review clinical aspects of this fascinating infection emphasizing areas of interest for immunocompromised hosts.