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Lint: tularaemia

Number Spacing
error

"The main reservoirs are small mammals such as rabbits; arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes and deer flies are important vectors 1. Infection can occur by direct contact with a living or dead animal carrier, contaminated water, mud, hay or straw, through an insect bite or from a laboratory plate. No human to human transmission has been documented. Bacteria are hardy and can survive for weeks in cold water or soil, even in frosty environments, but are destroyed by adequate cooking. The term ‘lawnmower disease’ refers to infection caused by the spattering of animal carcass fragments. Just 10 - 50 organisms are sufficient to cause infection."

Line 4:609 · In a number range, there should not be spaces around the hyphen ('10 - 50').
Em Dash
error

"Non-specific fever, chills, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, weakness, dry cough, haemoptysis, and diarrhoeaare common regardless of the mode of infection and may lead to diagnostic delays."

Line 10:110 · Don't use em-dashes, replace them with spaces either side of a hyphen-minus
En Dash
error

"Severe pneumonic and typhoidal forms can be fatal in up to 3060% if untreated."

Line 48:65 · Use a hyphen-minus ('-') instead of an en-dash ('–').
Emphasis
warning

"Tularaemia is a rare and highly virulent febrile zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis, classified as a Category A bioterrorism agent in the US 7. It can infect the skin and mucous membranes, lungs and intestine and cause systemic disease and death. Tularaemia is a notifiable disease in most countries."

Line 1:109 · Italics should be used only in exceptional circumstances: '<em>Francisella tularensis</em>'

"The most virulent form, Francisella tularensis biovar tularensis (type A) can cause fatal pneumonia and is endemic to North America, especially central and south-central US, where between 90 and 154 cases are reported each year. Less virulent subspecies (F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (Type B)) predominate in continental Europe and Asia 1."

Line 3:28 · Italics should be used only in exceptional circumstances: '<em>Francisella tularensis biovar tularensis</em>'

"Francisella tularensis is a tiny aerobic Gram-negative coccobacillus with surface pili that enable it to bind to host cells. Macrophages phagocytose the bacteria. The bacteria then inhibit normal phagosome function and lyse the phagosome membrane, erupting into the cytoplasm where they breed, killing the host cell which subsequently bursts, releasing the progeny. Infected foci become necrotic, producing caseating granulomata which may contain multi-nucleated giant cells. Abscesses can form."

Line 42:4 · Italics should be used only in exceptional circumstances: '<em>Francisella tularensis</em>'
Acronyms
warning

"Tularaemia is a rare and highly virulent febrile zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis, classified as a Category A bioterrorism agent in the US 7. It can infect the skin and mucous membranes, lungs and intestine and cause systemic disease and death. Tularaemia is a notifiable disease in most countries."

Line 1:195 · 'US' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.

"The most virulent form, Francisella tularensis biovar tularensis (type A) can cause fatal pneumonia and is endemic to North America, especially central and south-central US, where between 90 and 154 cases are reported each year. Less virulent subspecies (F. tularensis subsp. holarctica (Type B)) predominate in continental Europe and Asia 1."

Line 3:183 · 'US' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.

"PCR detection of F. tularensis DNA from whole blood, skin biopsy specimens or suppurative material is most sensitive during the first week of illness, and before adminstration of antibiotics."

Line 7:4 · 'PCR' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.

"Warn laboratory staff so that biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) containment and procedures are implemented 8."

Line 8:53 · 'BSL' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.

"ARDS"

Line 24:11 · 'ARDS' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.

"atypical pneumonia, TB, histoplasmosis, Q fever and anthrax can also cause lymph nodes large enough to be diagnosed on a chest radiograph"

Line 54:38 · 'TB' has no definition. Spell it out if it's unfamiliar to the audience.
Oxford Comma
suggestion

"Tularaemia is a rare and highly virulent febrile zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis, classified as a Category A bioterrorism agent in the US 7. It can infect the skin and mucous membranes, lungs and intestine and cause systemic disease and death. Tularaemia is a notifiable disease in most countries."

Line 1:246 · Use the Oxford comma in 'membranes, lungs and intestine'.

"The main reservoirs are small mammals such as rabbits; arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes and deer flies are important vectors 1. Infection can occur by direct contact with a living or dead animal carrier, contaminated water, mud, hay or straw, through an insect bite or from a laboratory plate. No human to human transmission has been documented. Bacteria are hardy and can survive for weeks in cold water or soil, even in frosty environments, but are destroyed by adequate cooking. The term ‘lawnmower disease’ refers to infection caused by the spattering of animal carcass fragments. Just 10 - 50 organisms are sufficient to cause infection."

Line 4:78 · Use the Oxford comma in 'ticks, mosquitoes and deer'.

"The main reservoirs are small mammals such as rabbits; arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes and deer flies are important vectors 1. Infection can occur by direct contact with a living or dead animal carrier, contaminated water, mud, hay or straw, through an insect bite or from a laboratory plate. No human to human transmission has been documented. Bacteria are hardy and can survive for weeks in cold water or soil, even in frosty environments, but are destroyed by adequate cooking. The term ‘lawnmower disease’ refers to infection caused by the spattering of animal carcass fragments. Just 10 - 50 organisms are sufficient to cause infection."

Line 4:243 · Use the Oxford comma in 'mud, hay or straw'.

"Multifocal consolidation, cavitation and multiple pulmonary nodules can occur."

Line 45:15 · Use the Oxford comma in 'consolidation, cavitation and multiple'.
Semicolons
suggestion

"The main reservoirs are small mammals such as rabbits; arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes and deer flies are important vectors 1. Infection can occur by direct contact with a living or dead animal carrier, contaminated water, mud, hay or straw, through an insect bite or from a laboratory plate. No human to human transmission has been documented. Bacteria are hardy and can survive for weeks in cold water or soil, even in frosty environments, but are destroyed by adequate cooking. The term ‘lawnmower disease’ refers to infection caused by the spattering of animal carcass fragments. Just 10 - 50 organisms are sufficient to cause infection."

Line 4:57 · Use semicolons judiciously.

"In the lung, solitary mass-like consolidation with lymphadenopathy and small effusion is typically misinterpreted as lung cancer, however the clinical features indicate acute infection. Nodes may suppurate; peripheral ground-glass opacity and air-bronchograms are often present."

Line 44:209 · Use semicolons judiciously.
Commas
suggestion

"Non-specific fever, chills, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, weakness, dry cough, haemoptysis, and diarrhoea—are common regardless of the mode of infection and may lead to diagnostic delays."

Line 10:22 · More than 5 commas in a single sentence might make it more difficult to read.
There Is
suggestion

"There are six major clinical forms:"

Line 11:4 · Don't start a sentence with 'There are'.
Biographical Lifespan
suggestion

"History and etymology"

Line 50:1 · A bold element in the History and etymology section should be a person; it would be useful to have their lifespan details: '<h4>History and etymology</h4> <p>The bacterium was isolated from dead ground squirrels in Tulare, California in 1911. <strong>Edward</strong> '