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