Tularemia is increasing in Austria. We report Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica isolated from 3 patients who had been bitten by arthropods. Next-generation sequencing showed substantial isolate similarity. Clinicians should consider bloodstream F. tularensis infections for patients with signs/symptoms of ulceroglandular tularemia, and surveillance of potential vectors should be intensified.
Keywords: Austria; Europe; Francisella tularensis; arthropod; bloodstream infection; parasites; re-emerging disease; tick bites; tickborne disease; tularemia; vector-borne infections.