2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code A21.7

Generalized tularemia

ICD-10-CM Code:
A21.7
ICD-10 Code for:
Generalized tularemia
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]
Not chronic
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Certain infectious and parasitic diseases
    (A00–B99)
    • Certain zoonotic bacterial diseases
      (A20-A28)
      • Tularemia
        (A21)

A21.7 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of generalized tularemia. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • Infection caused by Francisella
  • Tularemia
  • Typhoidal tularemia

Clinical Classification

Clinical Information

  • Tularemia

    a plague-like disease of rodents, transmissible to man. it is caused by francisella tularensis and is characterized by fever, chills, headache, backache, and weakness.
  • Francisella tularensis

    the etiologic agent of tularemia in man and other warm-blooded animals.
  • Tularemia

    a serious gram-negative bacterial infection caused by francisella tularensis. it is transmitted to humans through bites from infected insects, inhaling airborne bacteria, handling infected animals, or consuming contaminated food or water. signs and symptoms include skin ulcers, mouth sores, lymphadenopathy, sore throat, fever and pneumonia.

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Convert A21.7 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: 021.8 - Tularemia NEC
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Bacterial Infections

Bacteria are living things that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across a pencil eraser. Most types of don't make you sick. Many types are helpful. Some of them help to digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese.

But infectious bacteria can make you ill. They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli.

Antibiotics are the usual treatment. When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will learn to resist them causing antibiotic resistance. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases


[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Tick Bites

What are ticks?

Ticks are small parasites. They may look like insects, but they have eight legs and are related to spiders. Ticks feed on the blood of people and warm-blooded animals. There are many types of ticks in the United States, and they live in different parts of the country.

Ticks can be different colors and sizes. They can be light-colored, reddish brown, or dark brown. Some ticks are so small that they can be difficult to see. Ticks may get on you if you walk though areas where they live, such as tall grass, leaf litter or shrubs.

Why do I need to be worried about tick bites?

If you spend time outdoors or have pets that go outdoors, you need to beware of ticks. When they bite, certain types of ticks can pass on germs that cause different diseases. Sometimes the symptoms can be mild. In other cases, you can have serious, long-lasting health problems. Some of the diseases you can get from a tick bite (called tickborne diseases) include:

  • Lyme disease
  • Alpha-gal syndrome (tick bite red meat allergy)
  • Babesiosis
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
  • Tularemia

What happens if I get bitten by a tick?

You may not feel it when a tick bites you. The tick can stay attached to your body for several days. If that tick is infected, it can pass along any germs to you once it starts sucking your blood. But if you catch it and remove it before it has filled up on your blood, you are less likely to get infected.

How do I remove a tick?

If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as you can. You could use a tick removal device or a fine-tipped tweezers:

  • Using the tweezers, grab the tick as close to your skin as possible.
  • Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick. You want to remove the whole tick in one piece if you can. If the mouth-parts of the tick break off and stay in the skin, try to remove them. But if you can't remove them easily, then leave them.
  • Thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

When do I need to contact my health care provider about a tick bite?

Many tickborne diseases can have similar signs and symptoms. The most common are:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Aches and pains
  • Rash

If you develop any of these symptoms within several weeks of removing a tick, contact your provider.

How can I prevent tick bites?

There are steps you can take to prevent tick bites:

  • Avoid wooded, brushy, and grassy areas, especially during warmer months.
  • Wear insect repellent with DEET, picaridin or another U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent.
  • Wear light-colored protective clothing.
  • Treat your clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
  • Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your pants.
  • Remove your clothing after being outdoors. Check your clothing for ticks and remove any ticks that you find. Wash and dry your clothes at high temperatures.
  • Check yourself, your children, and your pets daily for ticks and carefully remove any ticks you find.

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024
  • FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023
  • FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022
  • FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021
  • FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020
  • FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019
  • FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018
  • FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017
  • FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

Footnotes

[1] Not chronic - A diagnosis code that does not fit the criteria for chronic condition (duration, ongoing medical treatment, and limitations) is considered not chronic. Some codes designated as not chronic are acute conditions. Other diagnosis codes that indicate a possible chronic condition, but for which the duration of the illness is not specified in the code description (i.e., we do not know the condition has lasted 12 months or longer) also are considered not chronic.