Typhus Fever

exp date isn't null, but text field is

Febrile infection caused by Rickettsia species

Causes

• Epidemic louse-borne typhus fever: caused by Rickettsia prowazeki; the common type in Uganda, which is transmitted to man (the reservoir) by lice
• Murine (endemic) typhus fever: caused by Rickettsia typhi (mooseri) and transmitted by rat fleas. Rats and mice are the reservoir
• Scrub typhus fever (mite-borne typhus): caused by R. tsutsugamushi and transmitted by rodent mites

Clinical features

• Headaches, fever, chills, severe weakness, muscle pains
• Macular rash that appears on the 5th day on the rest of the body except the face, palms, and soles
• Jaundice, confusion, drowsiness
• Murine typhus has a similar picture but is less severe

Differential diagnosis

• Any cause of fever such as malaria, HIV, UTI, or typhoid

Investigations

• Blood: For Weil-Felix reaction

Management

Treatment	LOC
Doxycycline 100 mg every 12 hours for 5-7 days Child > 8 years: 2 mg/kg per dose Or chloramphenicol 500 mg orally or IV every 6 hours for 5 days Child: 15 mg/kg per dose	HC2 HC4

Note: One single dose of doxycycline 200 mg may cure epidemic typhus but there is risk of relapse

Prevention

• Personal hygiene
• Destruction of lice and rodents