Outbreak of tularaemia in brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in France, January to March 2011.

We report an outbreak of tularaemia in brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in France, which occurred from January to March 2011 and was characterised by a high mortality rate in the local hare population. In France, hare tularaemia is usually sporadic and does not significantly affect hare populations. The epizootic form of the outbreak reported here led us to reconsider the potential associated risks for hare populations and public health.