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Epidemic typhus, also known as louse-borne typhus, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters where civil life is disrupted. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice , in contrast to endemic typhus which is usually transmitted by fleas .
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. [1] Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. [ 1 ] Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure.
For example, the human body louse transmits the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii which causes epidemic typhus. Although invertebrate-transmitted diseases pose a particular threat on the continents of Africa, Asia and South America, there is one way of controlling invertebrate-borne diseases, which is by controlling the invertebrate vector.
Los Angeles County is warning its residents to look out for fleas that could be carrying typhus after more than 40 cases have been reported in the area.
Rickettsia prowazekii is a species of gram-negative, obligate intracellular parasitic, aerobic bacilliform bacteria of class Alphaproteobacteria that is the etiologic agent of epidemic typhus, transmitted in the feces of lice. In North America, the main reservoir for R. prowazekii is the flying squirrel.
Rickettsia typhus group rash, a common symptom of infection. In the early 20th century epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii) ran rampant throughout many parts of the world. It was associated with high mortality, high virulence, and thought to be transmitted via louse. [12] During this period, less severe and untraceable cases began appearing. [12]
1918–1922 Russia typhus epidemic: Typhus: 2–3 million 1–1.6% of Russian population [14] 1918–1922 Russia: 13 Cocoliztli epidemic of 1576: Cocoliztli 2–2.5 million 50% of Mexican population [12] 1576–1580 Mexico 14 1772–1773 Persian Plague: Bubonic plague 2 million – 1772–1773 Persia: 15 735–737 Japanese smallpox epidemic ...
The most important pathogens which are transmitted by them are Rickettsia prowazekii (causes epidemic typhus), Borrelia recurrentis (causes relapsing fever), and Bartonella quintana (causes trench fever). Epidemic typhus can be treated with one dose of doxycycline, but if left untreated, the fatality rate is 30%. [14]