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Article: Epidemic typhus imported from Algeria.
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- September 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 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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We report epidemic typhus in a French patient returning from Algeria. The diagnosis was confirmed by serologic testing and the isolation of Rickettsia prowazekii in blood. Initially the patient was thought to have typhoid fever. Because body lice are prevalent in industrialized regions, the introduction of typhus to pediculosis-endemic areas poses a serious public health risk.
Epidemic typhus, caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, is transmitted in the feces of the infected body louse. Body lice live in clothing and are easily controlled by good personal hygiene. Louse-infested populations are primarily those who live in extreme poverty. Typhus has been associated ...