Francisella tularensis is a dangerous, highly infectious organism that can cause laboratory-acquired infections. It should not be manipulated on an open bench.
Catalase: F. tularensis is weakly catalase-positive or may be catalase-negative. Catalase testing must be performed with extreme caution in a biosafety cabinet (BSC) due to the creation of aerosols.
Oxidase: Negative
Beta-lactamase: Positive
Urease: Negative
XV factors: Not required for growth
Important note: F. tularensis is often incorrectly identified on automated identification systems. These systems may key out as Haemophilus influenzae or Actinobacillus species.
