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| Alternative Names: | Murine typhus; Epidemic typhus; Endemic typhus; Brill-Zinsser disease; Jail fever
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| Symptoms: | SYMPTOMS OF MURINE TYPHUS:
- headache
- backache
- arthralgia
- fever, extremely high (105 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit) and may last up to two weeks
- rash that begins on the trunk and spreads peripherally (The rash is made up of dull red macules that may become slightly papular after the initial appearance may last only a few hours.)
- nausea and vomiting in most patients
- hacking, dry cough
- abdominal pain
SYMPTOMS OF EPIDEMIC TYPHUS:
- severe headache
- fever, high (104 degrees Fahrenheit)
- cough in 70% of patients
- arthralgia and myalgia, (muscle pain) severe
- chills
- falling blood pressure
- stupor
- delirium
- rash that begins on chest and spreads to rest of trunk and extremities, but not to palms and soles
- early rash is faint and rose colored and fades with pressure (Later the lesions become dull, red, and do not fade. People with severe typhus may also develop petechiae.)
- lights appear very bright, and exposure to light may hurt the eyes
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| Signs and tests: | - CBC may show anemia and low platelets
- low serum sodium
- low albumin levels in the blood
- mildly increased liver enzymes
- mild renal failure
- antibody tests to typhus should be elevated
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Review Date: 9/5/2002
Reviewed By: Donna R. Cooper, MD, MPH. Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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