When most people hear of Typhus fever they may think of something out of the old wild west frontier while in fact Typhus fever has been dated back to The New World of the Spanish conquistadors of 1083. There has been much debate exactly where the disease first originated, but it has made most of its debuts in Europe and surrounding countries throughout the years. Typhus is most prevalent where there is famine, poverty, and war because of the overcrowding of people living together in rodent ramped, unsanitary conditions. Typhus is not seen presently as often as it used to be because of changes in general hygiene, pesticides, vaccinations and antibiotics. This, however, doesn’t mean a breakout couldn’t take place today in our
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Epidemic Typhus is caused by Rickettsiae prowazekii, and Murine Typhus caused by Rickettsiae typhi. This bacterium is spread most commonly by the bite of an arthropod insect such as lice, fleas, mites, and ticks. When an arthropod feeds on a human host or rodent who has the typhus disease, the insect then contracts the bacterium. It then is able to grow and reproduce inside the intestinal cells until it is released in the fecal matter of the arthropod. Even if the insect is killed by the disease before it can feed on another host, the infection is able to spread through the dried feces. The infection is released into the body with scratching of the site, or through infected dust in the air. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria are able to grow and replicate. This is why Typhus has been one of the greatest killers of human history, especially during times of war where sanitary conditions were difficult to uphold, and times of famine and areas of poverty, especially in cold weather where people would huddle together for warmth. Typhus has been seen in military camps, concentration camps, prisons and on ships most commonly. It has been spread from country to country through war and the travel of people from countries where it is more prevalent. The invention of DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) and its use helped to prevent the spread of the disease after World War I, but the tradeoff, which wasn’t …show more content…
An infected person can expect to have headaches, loss of appetite, joint or muscle pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and high fever. A rash will appear over the entire body except for the face, palms of hands and soles of feet. This rash can lead to debilitating bleeding sores in extreme cases. Typhus is said to cause a person to have a sensitivity to light, delirium, and in some cases cause comas. Antibiotics such as doxycycline, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol have been used to cure typhus. The infected person can also benefit from intravenous fluids due to the dehydrated brought on by the fever and the intestinal problems. If the disease goes untreated, circulation can suffer throughout the body and gangrene can set in at the fingers, genitals, nose, and ears. Pneumonia, kidney failure, and edema in the lungs and brain can occur. Cardiac failure is most often the immediate cause of death. People who have survived this terrible disease may never have a complete recovery. They may suffer from neurological issues or be at higher risk for other infectious diseases. Unfortunately, even after a person has recovered from the disease, it will always lay dormant in their immune system. Brill-Zinsser disease is a delayed complication or relapse of epidemic typhus. It occurs generally later in the lives of an individual that had previously contracted the disease. It is brought on by
Epidemic Typhus is caused by Rickettsiae prowazekii, and Murine Typhus caused by Rickettsiae typhi. This bacterium is spread most commonly by the bite of an arthropod insect such as lice, fleas, mites, and ticks. When an arthropod feeds on a human host or rodent who has the typhus disease, the insect then contracts the bacterium. It then is able to grow and reproduce inside the intestinal cells until it is released in the fecal matter of the arthropod. Even if the insect is killed by the disease before it can feed on another host, the infection is able to spread through the dried feces. The infection is released into the body with scratching of the site, or through infected dust in the air. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria are able to grow and replicate. This is why Typhus has been one of the greatest killers of human history, especially during times of war where sanitary conditions were difficult to uphold, and times of famine and areas of poverty, especially in cold weather where people would huddle together for warmth. Typhus has been seen in military camps, concentration camps, prisons and on ships most commonly. It has been spread from country to country through war and the travel of people from countries where it is more prevalent. The invention of DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) and its use helped to prevent the spread of the disease after World War I, but the tradeoff, which wasn’t …show more content…
An infected person can expect to have headaches, loss of appetite, joint or muscle pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and high fever. A rash will appear over the entire body except for the face, palms of hands and soles of feet. This rash can lead to debilitating bleeding sores in extreme cases. Typhus is said to cause a person to have a sensitivity to light, delirium, and in some cases cause comas. Antibiotics such as doxycycline, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol have been used to cure typhus. The infected person can also benefit from intravenous fluids due to the dehydrated brought on by the fever and the intestinal problems. If the disease goes untreated, circulation can suffer throughout the body and gangrene can set in at the fingers, genitals, nose, and ears. Pneumonia, kidney failure, and edema in the lungs and brain can occur. Cardiac failure is most often the immediate cause of death. People who have survived this terrible disease may never have a complete recovery. They may suffer from neurological issues or be at higher risk for other infectious diseases. Unfortunately, even after a person has recovered from the disease, it will always lay dormant in their immune system. Brill-Zinsser disease is a delayed complication or relapse of epidemic typhus. It occurs generally later in the lives of an individual that had previously contracted the disease. It is brought on by