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Article: Typhus group rickettsiae antibodies in rural Mexico.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- March 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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To the Editor: In 2002, the risk of transmission of epidemic typhus in the state of Mexico was assessed by analyzing serum specimens from 393 residents of previous typhogenic areas for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies against Rickettsia prowazekii. Louseborne typhus has been a historic scourge in Mexico. In 1576, in a population of 9 million, 2 million deaths were attributed to epidemic typhus (1). These illnesses primarily affected indigenous peoples, who called the illness cocolixtle and matlazahuatl (2).
In 1951 a national campaign against louseborne typhus was begun by using newly developed technologic approaches, antibiotics, and insecticides, resulting in ...