Typhus Fever: Description

Epidemic typhus is caused by lice. Some medical historians think that epidemic typhus caused the Great Plague of Athens in 430 B.C. Today epidemic typhus is only found in the mountains of Africa, Asia, and South America. Symptoms of this disease include: fever, headaches, muscle pains, weakness of the body, swelling in the heart and brain muscles. A rash may also appear on the back, chest, arms, legs, and abdomen.

Brill-Zinsser disease usually occurs years after one has completely recovered from epidemic typhus. If one's immune system is weakened by something like an illness or infection of some sort, Brill-Zensser disease is prone to return to the body. Brill-Zensser disease is not as severe as epidemic typhus. Brill-Zinsser disease has the mildest symptoms of these four diseases. The symptoms of this disease include a light fever and a mild rash.

Typhus fever is an infectious and contagious disease caused and transmitted by insects. The four main types of typhus fever are epidemic typhus, Brill-Zinsser disease, endemic or murine typhus, and scrub typhus. Although these diseases are all similar to each other, they differ in their level of seriousness.

Endemic typhus is transmitted by fleas. Fleas carry bacteria called Rickettsia typhi which is the cause of endemic typhus. Endemic typhus typically only occurs in warm areas. In the United States, endemic typhus has occurred in Southern Texas and California. The symptoms of endemic typhus include a high fever for approximately twelve days, headaches, and a light rash.

Scrub typhus is carried by mites and chiggers. Scrub typhus is caused by bacteria called Rickettsia tsutsugamushi. This disease has occurred in Japan, Southeast Asia, and the southwest Pacific. Scrub typhus usually only occurs in wet regions. Symptoms of scrub typhus include:fever, headache, muscle pains, cough, abdominal pains, vomiting, and diarrhea. A rash may also appear which will eventually develop black scabs; this rash can either be flat or bumpy.