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typhus

What is typhus and how do you get it?

What is typhus and how do you get it?

 is a disease caused by rickettsia or orientia bacteria. You can get it from infected mites, fleas, or lice. Modern hygiene has mostly stopped typhus, but it can still happen in places where basic sanitation is bad or if it gets passed on by an infected animal.

typhus

 is a group of diseases caused by bacteria of the family Rickettsialis transmitted to humans by insects, a disease known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever typhus or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

It is a bacterial infection that can pose a threat to life, as it is transmitted to humans through the bite of a tick, and the infection may be transmitted from the site of the bite and spread to the rest of the body through the blood circulation, and this disease is often mild, but it may cause complications in some people up to Death, which is why it is important to start treatment as soon as the disease is discovered

Typhus symptoms

In the early stages, the symptoms of typhus rocky mountain spotted fever are similar to the signs and symptoms of many other diseases, and they are as follows:

  • Fever , in which the body temperature rises above 39 ° C.
  • Chills.
  • severe headache;
  • photosensitivity;
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Anorexia.
  • Weakness and wasting.

In later, advanced stages of typhus, characteristic signs of the disease appear, including the following:

  • Rashes on the wrists and ankles in the form of red spots.
  • Distributed pain, not localized in one place.
  • diarrhea.
  • Loss of comfort and serenity.
  • Rave.

What distinguishes the rash in Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the fact that it starts from the wrist and ankle, and then spreads towards the palms of the hands and feet, reaching the center of the body, such as the back and abdomen.

There are rare diseases that cause a rash on the palms of the hands and feet, therefore, such a rash forms a red light that requires deep investigation for clarification. Sometimes typhus may appear without a rash or the rash may not be prominent in people with dark skin color, and this situation is not an indication that the disease condition Mild.

Causes and risk factors for typhus

 bacterium rickettsial ( Rickettsia ) that may be transmitted in several cases, which are the following:

  • Sting: the tick sticks to the person’s skin and feeds on his blood, at which point the infection is transmitted.
  • Cracked skin: The germ lives in the body fluids of ticks, and it can enter the human body if the skin is exposed due to a scratch or other injury. 

Infection is more common in the summer; Because ticks are more active and active and people spend more time in open areas.

Typhus complications

Early pharmacological treatment of typhus in rocky mountain spotted fever can achieve recovery from typhus without any complications, but when typhus cannot be detected at an early stage, it is possible that the germ can spread through the blood to the heart, kidneys, joints, lungs, and nervous system and cause Thus, with the following complications:

  • Kidney failure .
  • Lung or heart failure.
  • meningitis ;
  • Brain damage.
  • disorders of blood clotting;
  • Gangrene of the extremities to the extent that the entire limb must be amputated.
  • A decrease in the flow of blood and its supply to the body’s organs.

In only a very small percentage of cases, and when treatment is started too late or if treatment is not treated at all, the patient may die from complications and exacerbations of the disease.

Typhus diagnosis

The characteristic form of the rash with the possibility of traveling on a trip or a walk in the forest in the recent period constitutes an indication for the diagnosis of typhus, the final diagnosis is made by isolating the germ from the blood and taking a sample from the rash.

Typhus treatment

The treatment of typhus, rocky mountain spotted fever, begins with determining the place of entry of the germ into the body.

  • Antibiotics must be taken, often Doxycycline, while pregnant women are treated with various other antibiotics that do not cause harm to the fetus, such as: Chloramphenicol.
  • Pharmacotherapy should be started immediately when there is a clinical suspicion of typhus; This is due to the risk of severe and serious complications that may even cause death.
  • When someone is bitten by a tick, they should immediately remove it gently and hold it between the head and the body, preferably with forceps.
  • The tick should be placed in an airtight nylon bag and then placed in the freezer of the refrigerator so that it can be checked whether or not it is infected with the typhus germ.
  • The sting site should be thoroughly washed with antibacterial soap and water, as well as hands and tweezers.

Prevention of typhus

To avoid prevention, the following should be followed:

  • Wear long clothes and shoes.
  • Use insect repellents.
  • Check the body for tick bites at the end of the flight, and if checked, remove it carefully.
  • Go to get a medical ambulance and inform the doctor of the full details of the trip in the open fields when any of the symptoms of the disease appear.

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