Francisella tularensis in Wild Lagomorphs in Southern Spain’s Mediterranean Ecosystems

<i>Francisella tularensis</i> is a vector-borne zoonotic bacterium that causes tularemia, a disease of great importance for animal and public health. Although wild lagomorphs are considered one of the major reservoirs of this bacterium, information about the circulation of <i>F. tularensis</i> in European wild rabbit (<i>Oryctolagus cuniculus</i>) and Iberian hare (<i>Lepus granatensis</i>) populations in Europe is still very limited. In Spain, <i>F. tularensis</i> is present in northern central regions, with recurrent outbreaks occurring annually. However, southern Spain has been neglected in terms of monitoring and research. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of <i>F. tularensis</i> in wild lagomorphs in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain through using molecular techniques. Spleen samples from 774 European wild rabbits and 178 Iberian hares were collected on 135 hunting grounds between the 2017/2018 and 2022/2023 hunting seasons. A primer set targeting the 16S rRNA gene was used for the detection of <i>F. tularensis</i> DNA. None of the 952 (0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0-0.4) wild lagomorphs sampled showed presence of <i>F. tularensis</i> DNA. Our finding indicates the absence or very low circulation of the bacterium in wild rabbit and Iberian hare populations in the Mediterranean ecosystems of southern Spain, denoting a limited risk of transmission of this pathogen from wild lagomorphs to other sympatric species, including human beings, in this Iberian region.