Tularemia has a low overall fatality rate of less than 2% but a high mortality rate of up to 24 percent depending on the strain, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tularemia can also be spread through the air during gardening, building, or other activities, resulting in pneumonic tularemia. Tularemia can also be transmitted by eating raw or undercooked animal meat or drinking contaminated water. Antibiotics injected directly into a muscle or vein are an effective treatment for tularemia. Tularemia is most commonly treated with the antibiotic gentamicin. Streptomycin is also effective, although it is more difficult to come by and has more adverse effects than other antibiotics.
