Relapsing fever

An infectious disease that occurs in the form of febrile attacks (fever), followed by periods of normal temperature (apyrexia - a fever-free period). There are louse-borne and tick-borne relapsing fever.

Louse-borne relapsing fever. The causative agent is a spirochete (see Spirochetoses), which parasitizes the human body and lice. Human infection occurs only through lice. After sucking on the blood of a patient with relapsing fever, the louse becomes infected with spirochetes. A person becomes ill when a lice is crushed and the spirochetes it contains get on damaged skin (scratching, bites).

The incubation period is 3-14 days (usually 7-8). The disease begins suddenly, with tremendous chills, the temperature rises to 40-41°. A headache appears in the occipital region, insomnia, muscle pain (especially in the calf muscles), and sometimes there may be nosebleeds. The patient's skin becomes dry and hot to the touch. The appetite is poor, the patient is thirsty. The tongue is covered with a white coating. The amount of urine excreted decreases (oliguria); with a decrease in temperature, the amount of urine increases to 5 liters per day.

After 3-4 days, the skin and sclera of the eyes acquire a yellowish color. The duration of the first febrile attack is 6-8 days. Then the temperature drops, apyrexia lasts approx. 6-8 days; at this time the patient feels well, only slight weakness is noted. This is followed by a second febrile period, with the same symptoms as the first. Usually there are 2-3 attacks (less often 4-5).

Treatment of relapsing fever must be carried out in the hospital. An important place in the prevention of relapsing fever is occupied by the fight against lice (see Lice, lice). Timely identification of patients and their hospitalization are necessary. Persons who communicated with the sick person are monitored for 3 weeks, and if they develop a temperature, they are isolated. All persons present in the outbreak (the apartment where the sick person was located) must undergo sanitary treatment in the sanitary inspection room; linen, bedding, clothing and premises are subject to disinfestation. The outbreak is monitored for 2 months. from the moment of isolation of the last patient (daily temperature measurement of those who communicated with the patient, carrying out sanitary education work).

Tick-borne relapsing fever. The causative agent is a spirochete. The sources of pathogens of tick-borne relapsing fever are gerbils, Turkestan rats, jerboas, voles, jackals, etc. The carriers of pathogens of relapsing fever are argasid ticks, which become infected with spirochetes when sucking blood from sick animals.

Infected ticks can store and transmit spirochetes through blood-sucking for 10 years or more. Ticks live in caves, quarries, burrows of wild animals, in crevices of adobe buildings, as well as in livestock buildings and rodent burrows. Cases of tick-borne relapsing fever are found in the republics of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, the North Caucasus, and southern Ukraine.

Human infection occurs through the bite of a tick whose salivary glands contain spirochetes. A purple spot appears at the site of the bite and lasts for 2-4 weeks. Incubation period 5-15 days; then weakness, weakness, aches in the lower back, legs, and sweating appear; appetite disappears. Suddenly there is a chill, the temperature rises to 39-40°, there is a severe headache, and the pain in the lower back and legs intensifies. There may be vomiting. The patient's face is initially red, then turns pale and acquires a yellowish color.

The first febrile period lasts 1-4 days, then the temperature decreases. The fever-free period lasts from 1-3 to 20-30 days. Then the attack begins again; Usually there are 10-12 attacks or more.

Treatment is carried out in a hospital. Prevention of tick-borne relapsing fever involves protecting people from tick attacks. You should not rest or spend the night near tick habitats. It is necessary