(European, Classic, or Louse-Borne Typhus; Jail Fever)
Epidemic typhus is a rickettsial disease that is caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and spread by body lice.
- People with epidemic typhus have a fever, an intense headache, and extreme exhaustion, followed by a rash 4 to 6 days later.
- To diagnose the infection, doctors test a sample of the rash and sometimes do blood tests.
- Washing and drying infested clothes at high temperatures can help prevent the spread of infection.
- Epidemic typhus is treated with an antibiotic.
Rickettsiae are a type of bacteria that can live only inside the cells of other organisms. The rickettsiae that cause epidemic typhus typically live in people (the host). But in North America, these rickettsiae can also live in flying squirrels.
Epidemic typhus occurs throughout the world. The infection is usually transmitted by body lice
when their feces enters the body through breaks in the skin or
sometimes through mucus membranes of the eyes or mouth. In the United
States, people occasionally develop epidemic typhus after coming into
contact with flying squirrels.
This infection is called epidemic typhus because in the past, it
has caused large outbreaks (epidemics) that killed large numbers of
people. Such outbreaks are now rare, but smaller ones have recently
occurred in Africa. Epidemic typhus spreads most easily in crowded,
unhygienic conditions as occur during war or civil unrest or in areas of
extreme poverty.
Symptoms
Symptoms of epidemic typhus begin suddenly about 7 to 14 days
after bacteria enter the body. People have a fever and an intense
headache and feel very tired. A rash appears 4 to 6 days later. The rash
usually begins on the chest and spreads to the arms, and legs.
Sometimes the spleen enlarges. If the infection is severe, blood
pressure may become very low, the kidneys may malfunction, and gangrene
and/or pneumonia may develop.
Untreated, epidemic typhus may be fatal, especially in people over 50.
Diagnosis
- A doctor's evaluation
- Biopsy and testing of the rash
- Blood tests
The diagnosis of epidemic typhus is suggested by the symptoms,
particularly if the person has body lice or has been in an area where
there was an outbreak of typhus.
To confirm the diagnosis, doctors may do an immunofluorescence assay, which uses a sample taken from the rash (biopsy). Or they may use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to enable them to detect the bacteria more rapidly.
Doctors may do blood tests that detect antibodies to the
bacteria. However, doing the test once is not enough. The test must be
repeated 1 to 3 weeks later to check for an increase in the
antibody level. Thus, antibody tests do not help doctors diagnose the
infection immediately after someone becomes ill but can help confirm the
diagnosis later.
Prevention
Measures to control lice can help prevent the infection from
spreading. For example, louse-infested clothing and bedding should be
washed with hot water and dried with high heat or be dry cleaned. Also,
people should avoid contact with flying squirrels and their nests.
People who have a lice infestation may be given lindane or malathion (which are prescription drugs) to apply to their skin and eliminate the lice.
However, because body lice live in people's clothing and bedding,
rather than on their skin (as head and pubic lice do), treatment of
clothing and bedding is usually adequate.
Treatment
-
An antibiotic
Treatment of epidemic typhus usually consists of the antibiotic doxycycline,
given by mouth. People take the antibiotic until they improve and have
had no fever for 24 to 48 hours, but they must take it for at least 7
days.
Chloramphenicol is also effective but can have serious side effects and is not available in the United States.
Brill-Zinsser Disease
Brill-Zinsser disease is a recurrence of epidemic typhus, sometimes years after the first infection.
Some of the organisms that cause epidemic typhus remain in the
body. They may become reactivated if a person's immune system is
weakened.
Symptoms of Brill-Zinsser disease are almost always mild
and resemble those of epidemic typhus. The fever lasts about 7 to 10
days. People may not have a rash.
Diagnosis and treatment of Brill-Zinsser disease are similar to those of epidemic typhus.
Posts
0 Comments