Medicine does not stand still and is constantly evolving. Scientists day by day find various cures for all kinds of diseases. However, doctors still have a list of the most terrible ailments that threaten humanity. One such problem is typhus. What is it, why the disease is dangerous, about the causes of its occurrence and the main symptoms and will be discussed further.
Basic information
First, you need to understand the terminology. So, typhus - what is it? This is a serious disease caused by salmonella. Experts say that it occurs most often where there is a large crowd of people. The causative agent of this disease are bacterial species such as Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi (that is, typhoid and paratyphoid infections). These microorganisms initially develop in the intestines, after which they gradually penetrate the blood and other organs (most often the liver, gallbladder and spleen).
Causes of disease
As mentioned above, the causative agent of typhoid is bacteria, which in medicine are called Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi (that is, salmonella). Getting them is completely easy. They can be infected throughdirty food, as well as through water. That is, one of the causes of the disease is non-compliance with personal hygiene rules. The main way of transmission of salmonella is oral-fecal way.
It is also worth noting that from the category of food products the most dangerous in this case is milk, less often meat and vegetables. Doctors, however, note that this disease mainly occurs in those areas and regions where there is a very low level of cultural and sanitary development.
We must not forget that typhus is transmitted not only through urine and feces, but also through sweat, saliva and along with mother's milk.
Main symptoms
Typhoid - what kind of disease? We deal with this further. Now I want to consider the main symptoms that will manifest in a person in case of infection. Be sure to note that the signs of the disease will not be noticeable immediately after infection. So, they will appear on average on the 7-14th day of the development of the disease. In this case, the person may feel:
- Persistent headache.
- Increased body temperature.
- Abdominal pain.
- Stool disorders. Most often, constipation occurs initially, followed by loose stools.
- Patients often develop a dry cough.
- Pink spots may appear, which are mainly concentrated on the back, abdomen, and also on the chest.
About the types of disease
Typhoid disease - what is it? What else can you learn about this disease? So, it must be said that today doctors distinguish three of itstype:
- Typhus.
- Typhoid.
- Relapsing fever.
Depending on this, the symptoms of the disease will vary. For each individual type of ailment, the signs will be slightly different from each other.
About typhoid fever
Typhoid fever is the most common form of this disease. So, it occurs in case of non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards. The symptoms are very similar to colds. This is a headache, fatigue, and weakness. Somewhat later, there is an increase in body temperature: it can reach even 40ºС. At the same time, there is also a decrease in appetite, sleep disturbance. The patient may alternate between insomnia and constant drowsiness. A week after infection, a rash is visible on the patient's skin, which either appears or disappears. The person himself becomes somewhat inhibited, his face turns pale. Even later, the pulse may increase, as well as lower blood pressure. At this time, wheezing is heard in the patient - this is the so-called specific bronchitis.
At first, a sick person does not pose a threat, he turns out to be dangerous in the second week of the disease. And all because the bacteria at this time are already being excreted not only with feces, but also with sweat. Others can pick them up at any moment.
About typhus
What is typhus characterized by? Its main difference is that in addition to fever and fever, it also causes damage to the heartvascular and nervous systems of the body. This type of disease is transmitted with the help of lice: body lice, head lice. The insect itself is not at all dangerous, but it can carry the infection. The latter enters the human blood along with an insect bite. It can also be spread by lice secretions if they settle on the head of a new host. When combing the bites, their excrement is rubbed into the head. Symptoms are the same as in typhoid fever. However, skin rashes occur not only on the abdomen, back and chest, but also on the elbows and knees, joints.
About relapsing fever
It's time to address the issue of relapsing fever. How is this disease different? Initially, it should be noted that the carriers of the disease are ticks, as well as lice. It is caused by spirochetes, in other words - Borrelia reccurentis. It is also important to note that there are two types of illness:
- Lice relapsing fever (or relapsing lice fever).
- Tick-borne typhus.
It is easy to guess that in the first case, the carrier of the disease is lice. And most often - clothes. Much less often - head or pubic. A person presents the maximum danger during a fever. So, the insect is able to drink the blood of the infected. Getting on the human body, it can infect only if it is crushed at the site of abrasions, wounds or scratches. That is, it is necessary that particles of an infected insect enter the human blood. Only in this way can lousy relapsing fever appear.
Tick-borne typhus is verysimilar to lousy, but still there are some differences. First of all, they lie in the fact that the causative agents of the disease are very similar. However, in this case, the spreaders are rodents, and the vectors are ticks. It is worth noting that this type of disease is common in Africa, Asia, Latin America, as well as in Spain and Portugal. It must be said that an epidemic of tick-borne typhus cannot arise, in any case, there have been no such precedents yet.
Diagnosis and treatment
Be sure to tell what tests you will have to pass so that you can make this diagnosis. To test for typhoid, you will have to send blood and feces for laboratory testing. And already on the basis of these results, certain conclusions can be drawn.
As for the treatment, it is possible to cope with the disease. However, you need to start treatment as soon as possible in order to quickly get rid of the problem. So, you have to take antibiotics. These can be drugs such as Erythromycin, Penicillin, Tetracycline. It is important to note that the goal of antimicrobial therapy is not only to kill pathogens, but also to prevent relapses. In this case, symptomatic treatment can be carried out, as well as detoxification therapy.
