With the progressive development of medical science today, there are still some diseases (embola fever, malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis) that require a significant contribution to the study of their treatment methods or ways to eradicate them. Many of them had and have the forms of endemics and pandemics that accompany various social disasters (war, famine). Below we will talk about one of these dangerous diseases.
Even in ancient times, the question "what is typhus" was given a clear answer by Hippocrates. With this term, he designated all febrile states that occur with clouding of consciousness or with its loss.
What typhus is known today?
The collective name typhus implies three separate nosological forms. Existence known today:
- seed;
- returnable;
- typhoid.
They all have different modes of transmission and differ in the nature of the carriers of the disease.
General information
Many well-known facts on all types of typhus and paratyphoid fever can be shown clearly in the table.
| View | Pathogen | Carrier |
| Typhoid fever | Salmonella | Sick person or carrier |
|
Relapsing fever:Epidemic Endemic |
Spirochetes of the genus Borrelia |
LiceTicks |
|
Typhus: EpidemicEndemic |
Rickettsia ProwachekaRickettsia mooseri | Lice (clothes, head, rarely pubic)Rat fleas |
Next, let's look at what typhus is and how it manifests itself, specifically for each form.
More about typhoid fever
Infection occurs when contaminated milk, water, vegetables, fruits, bread and other products are taken, as well as by accidental ingestion of salmonella-infected water while swimming in closed waters.
In the 19th century, accurate descriptions appeared, How is typhoid fever. It is an infectious disease with an acute course. It manifests itself in the form of a feverish state, intoxication, roseolous rashes on the skin. Lesions of the lymphatic apparatus in the small intestine are noted, the liver and spleen are enlarged. The latent period lasts an average of two weeks. The onset of typhoid fever is gradual with patient complaints common to many diseases: weakness, fatigue, weakness, headache, sleep disturbance, anorexia (lack of appetite), fever, flatulence (bloating), constipation.
Objective manifestations of the initial period are characterized by: lethargy, bradycardia, pulse dicrotia (bifurcation of the pulseblow), muffled heart tones, dry rales in the lungs.
On examination, doctors note a thickened, coated tongue in the middle is grayish-brown, and clean from the edges and at the tip, manifestations of catarrhal angina, enlarged liver and spleen. A week later, the maximum development of symptoms occurs: consciousness is disturbed, patients with typhoid rave, a roseolous-papular rash appears on the skin at the top of the abdomen and in the lower chest. They have low blood pressure. Gastrointestinal symptoms noted:
- Dryness of the tongue, it is covered with a dense brown or dirty-brown coating;
- Pain in the iliac region on the right and "rumbling" in the abdomen;
- Constipation and severe flatulence.
In blood tests - a decrease in leukocytes, protein is determined in the urine. If the patient is not treated, he dies from complications: intestinal bleeding, perforation (perforation) of the intestine.
About typhus in detail
There are two forms of typhus: epidemic and endemic. Epidemic typhus, also known as European, classical or louse typhus. Other names for it: ship or prison fever. Ways of transmission from person to person. People get sick more often in the cold season.
A person combs the places of body lice bites and the excrement of insects, along with rickettsiae, enters the bloodstream. Bacteria infect the endothelial (inner) layer of small vessels and the person becomes contagious!
Asymptomatic period lasts from 10 days to two weeks. Now in detail about what typhus is and how it manifests itselfclinically. The disease begins acutely. Its primary manifestations are chills, fever (temperature up to 40 degrees lasts for two weeks), persistent headache, constant back pain. A few days later, a patchy pink rash appears on the skin of the abdomen.
The patient is severely retarded, disoriented in time and space, speaks hastily, incoherently, and may fall into a coma. If antibiotic therapy is started at this time in the required dosage, then a person can be saved!
The symptoms of typhus were described above. Now a few words about what endemic typhus is. It is also called rat, flea or American. It is also called rickettsia, but of the genus mooseri. This form is more common in the USA. About 40 cases of infection are recorded there annually. Endemic typhus prefers the warm climate of both hemispheres. Mostly rural residents are ill and mainly in summer. The disease is much milder than epidemic typhus.
What is relapsing typhus
If the infection comes from the bites of lice infected with spirochetes, then they speak of an epidemic (European) form of relapsing fever. In the case when a person becomes ill after being bitten by an infected tick, then this is endemic relapsing fever.
From the moment of infection to the first attack of the disease, it can take from 5 days to two weeks. The disease begins suddenly with an attack, when the fever is replaced by a short chill, while the body temperature reaches 39 degrees, symptoms of intoxication also appear (headache, articular,muscle pain, nausea, may be vomiting). The skin of the body is dry with roseolous, petechial, bark- or scarlet-like rashes. The face is red. There may be an injection of blood vessels of the sclera. Pulse is fast, blood pressure is low. The liver and spleen are enlarged. In the blood - a reduced number of platelets.
This period may be characterized by persistent nosebleeds, hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, hemoptysis, the appearance of red blood cells in the urine. The height of the attack is characterized by the appearance of meningeal symptoms. The duration of the attack is from 2 to 6 days.
The end of the attack is characterized by a drop in body temperature with profuse sweat. Sometimes a critical decrease in temperature is accompanied by a collapse (BP drops sharply, the skin turns pale, the patient's limbs are cold, he loses consciousness). When the body temperature returns to normal, the patient's condition improves. The attack may recur in a week. European relapsing fever is characterized by 2-5 attacks (if not treated with antibiotics).
