BACKGROUND: Tularemia exhibits differences in terms of severity, mode of transmission and frequency according to seasons and geographical regions and it may cause outbreaks. This study mainly evaluates a tularemia outbreak that occurred in the urban center of Balıkesir (Turkey) province, its districts, and villages between 11 January and 13 March, 2002 and also shortly other cases reported in Turkey. METHODS: Once a tularemia outbreak was suspected, the suspicious patients were evaluated and the source of outbreak was researched. In addition, it was taken preventive measures. RESULTS: A hundred twenty six tularemia cases (81 females, 45 males) were determined in the outbreak. All cases were of the oropharyngeal form. Of cases, 97 were from Balıkesir urban provincial center, 14 from the township of Manyas and 15 from various villages in Balikesir. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological researches thought that the outbreaks are mostly water-borne and the cases are oropharingeal form in Turkey.