Epidemic typhus

Murine typhus

Scrub typhus

Human Louse

Mite

Rickettsia ProwazekiiObligate intracellular bacteriaPleiomorphic rodsSusceptible to moist heat and dry

heat

Cases reported in the world since 1997

Symptoms

• Acute infection• Brill-Zinsser

disease

Diagnosing Epidemic TyphusClinical signs and history (for

initial diagnosis)Confirmatory diagnosis

◦Culture◦Serology◦Biopsy◦PCR

Epidemic typhus found in Houston, Texas

176 participants◦2 had antibodies against R. prowazekii◦17 had antibodies against R. typhi

Reeves et al. (2008)

Treatment and PreventionDelousingAntibiotics

◦Chloramphenicol◦Tetracycline

Doxycycline 200 mg

Vaccine not commerciallyavailable

High prevalence of Typhus during wartime

References www.who.int/ith/diseases/typhusfever/en/ www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/

001363.htm www.textbookofbacteriology.net/

Rickettsia_2.html www.inkling.com/read/rubins-pathology-emanuel-

rubin-6th/chapter-9/epidemic-louse-borne-typhus www.uptodate.com/contents/epidemic-typhus/

abstract/2?utdPopup=true vb3lk7eb4t.search.serialssolutions.com/?

sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:18697325 entomology.montana.edu/historybug/typhus-

conlon.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.3376/1081-

1710(2008)33[205:SEOTGR]2.0.CO;2

ResearchThe genome sequence of Rickettsia

prowazekii and the origin of mitochondria◦ 1998

Serological evidence of typhus group rickettsia in a homeless population in Houston, Texas ◦ 2008

Cluster of Sylvatic Epidemic Typhus Cases Associated with Flying Squirrels, 2004–2006◦ 2009◦ http://vb3lk7eb4t.search.serialssolutions.com

/?sid=Entrez:PubMed&id=pmid:806809

◦ http://www.ajtmh.org/content/27/2/339