What is typhus, what forms of typhus exist, and how dangerous is it?

With the progressive development of medical science, some diseases still remain today (embolus fever, malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis), which require a significant contribution to the study of methods of their treatment or ways to eradicate them.

Many of them had and have forms of endemics and pandemics that accompany various social disasters (war, famine). Below we will talk about one of such dangerous diseases.

Even in ancient times, the question "what is typhus" was given a clear answer by Hippocrates. By this term he designated all the feverish states, proceeding with the confusion of consciousness or with its loss.

What typhus is known today?

The collective name of typhus implies three separate nosological forms. Today existence is known:

• Rash;
• Returnable;
• Typhoid fever.

They all have different modes of transmission and differ in the nature of the vectors of the disease.

general information

Many known facts on all types of typhus and paratyphoid can be shown clearly in the table.

Next, consider what is typhoid, and how it manifests, specifically for each form.

About typhoid fever

Infection occurs with the ingestion of contaminated milk, water, vegetables, fruits, bread and other products, as well as accidental ingestion of salmonella-infested water during bathing in enclosed bodies of water.

In the 19th century, precise descriptions emerged of how abdominal typhoid flows. It is an infectious disease with acute course. It manifests itself in the form of a feverish state, intoxication, and rosaceous eruptions on the skin. There are lesions of the lymphatic apparatus in the small intestine, the liver and spleen increases.

The hidden period lasts an average of two weeks. The onset of typhoid fever is gradual with complaints of patients common to many diseases: weakness, rapid fatigue, adynamia, headache, sleep disturbance, anorexia (lack of appetite), fever, flatulence (bloating), constipation.

Objective manifestations of the initial period are characterized by: retardation, bradycardia, dicrotic pulse (bifurcated pulse), muffled heart tones, dry wheezing in the lungs.

On examination, doctors note a thickened, obscure tongue in the middle of a grayish-brown, and from the edges and on the tip of a clean, manifestations of catarrhalic tonsillitis, enlarged liver and spleen.

After a week, the maximum development of symptoms occurs: the consciousness is broken, the patients with typhoid rave, on the skin at the top of the abdomen and in the lower sections of the chest a rose-papular rash appears . They have lowered blood pressure. Gastrointestinal symptoms are noted:

• Dryness of the tongue, it is covered with dense brown or dirty-brown bloom;
• Pain in the iliac region to the right and "rumbling" in the abdomen;
• Constipation and severe flatulence.

In blood tests - a decrease in white blood cells, in the urine protein is determined. 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, classic or licefied typhus. Other names are: ship or prison fever. Ways of transferring it from person to person. People are more often ill during the cold season.

The places of bites of louse lice people combs and feces insects along with rickettsia fall into the blood. Bacteria affect the endothelial (inner) layer of small vessels and a person becomes infectious!

The asymptomatic period lasts from 10 days to two weeks. Now, in detail about what is typhus swelling and how it manifests itself clinically.

The disease begins acutely. Its primary manifestations are chills, fever (the temperature is up to 40 degrees lasts two weeks), persistent headache, constant pain in the back. A few days later, a patchy pink rash appears on the belly skin.

The patient is sharply inhibited, disoriented in time and space, speaks hurriedly, incoherently and can fall into a coma. If at this time to start antibiotic therapy in the required dosage, then a person can be saved!

The symptoms of typhus epidemic typhus have been described above. Now a few words about what is typhus endemic rash. It is also called rat, flea or American. It is also called rickettsia, but the genus mooseri. This form is more common in the US. There about 40 cases of infection are recorded annually.

Endemic Typhus prefers the warm climate of both hemispheres. The villagers are mainly sick, mainly in the summer. The disease proceeds much more easily than epidemic typhus.

What is Typhoid Recurrent?

If the infection comes from the bites of lice infested with spirochetes, then they speak of the epidemic (European) form of recurrent typhus. In the event that a person becomes ill after a bite with an infected tick, then this is an endemic recurrent typhus.

From the moment of infection to the first attack of the disease can go from 5 days to two weeks. The disease begins suddenly with an attack, when the fever is replaced by a short-term chill, while the temperature of the body reaches 39 degrees, symptoms of intoxication (headache, joint, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting may also appear).

The skin of the body is dry with roseous, petechial, kore or scarlet fever-like rashes. The face is red. There may be an injection of sclera vessels. Pulse is frequent, blood pressure is low. The liver and spleen are enlarged. In the blood - a reduced number of platelets.

This period may differ persistent nosebleeds, hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, hemoptysis, the appearance of erythrocytes 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 drop in temperature is accompanied by collapse (blood pressure drops sharply, the skin turns pale, the limbs in the patient are cold, it loses consciousness).

When the body temperature is normal, the patient's condition also improves. The attack can repeat in a week. European recurrent typhus is characterized by 2-5 seizures (if not treated with antibiotics).