Francisella is a gram-negative fastidious bacteria. F. tularensis, the type species of Francisella genus, causes a zoonotic disease tularemia. Francisella was isolated from soil, grass, moor and infected animals. It can spread with aerosols, infected arthropod, contaminated water and food. In recent years, several species of Francisella were identified, including F. guangzhouensis and other potential pathogenic species, isolated from air-conditioning cooling water in Guangzhou. However, the identification and epidemic risks of these genus were unclear yet. This review summarized the recent advances in the classification, identification and epidemic of Francisella.