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Article: Delousing a disease.(Dr. Detective: case study: typhus)
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- September 1, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Weekly Reader Corp. 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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Background: During World War I (1914-1918) and the years that followed, at least 3 million people died of typhus in Europe. Victims would suffer high fevers, headaches, skin rashes, and mental confusion. (The word typhus comes from the Greek word typhos, which means "a stupor or haze.") Eventually, typhus would destroy tissue and trigger kidney failure.
Investigation: The French doctor Charles Nicolle became interested in typhus in the early 1900s. He observed the spread of the disease among hospital patients and found that it could be easily foiled. By giving his patients a hot bath and a change of clothes, Nicolle stopped the disease in its tracks.
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