And so I begin #14DaysofMicrobiologyPoems.
I reached out to the science Twitterverse earlier this month in search of 14 microbes worthy of poems.
Here is Poem One, requested by @KateBradfordSci.
Francisella tularensis: from vineyards to hare hunts
Only 10 to 50 of me can make you sick.
Leaving you with fevers, ulcers, and angry lymph nodes.
Rabbit fever, as some call it.
My name is Francisella tularensis.
You can find me in ticks and deer flies.
But sometimes, I infect rabbits, cats, and dogs.
I’ve stayed out of your way for the most part,
But sometimes I cross paths with humans.
I’ve been in Martha’s Vineyard,
Hidden in the grass within a dead rabbit,
Infecting someone mowing their lawn,
Who dispersed me into the air.
I’ve been to the vineyards in Germany.
They found me in crushed grapes,
Sickening six harvesters,
Who drank the concoction in which I dwelled.
Turns out, I came from infected mice,
Likely collected amongst the grapes.
Also in Germany,
I’ve made an appearance at a hare hunt.
Spreading to 27 people from blood and meat.
I’ve also been to the National Mall,
Triggering biohazard sensors.
No cases reported,
And the source – likely environmental.
I may seem all over the place,
But don’t fear too much.
I rarely cause disease,
Unlike the flu or the common cold.
In any case,
Let’s not meet anytime soon.
Further reading:
Oropharyngeal Tularemia from Freshly Pressed Grape Must. New England Journal of Medicine. 2018.
Health Officials Vigilant for Illness After Sensors Detect Bacteria on Mall. Washington Post. 2005.
