Typhus

This infectious disease of an acute nature occurs when a bite of an infected pasture mite or other infected animals. Typhus fever is accompanied by fever, signs of general intoxication of the body and the appearance of maculopapular rash. Now the disease in developed countries does not occur, more often it affects the inhabitants of Africa and Asia.

Symptoms of tick-borne typhus

Like any other disease, the development of this disease occurs in several stages.

The incubation period

It lasts from three to five days and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• high temperature reaching 40 degrees;
• heat, followed by chill;
• thirst;
• visual, tactile and auditory hyperesthesia;
• vomiting.

Acute stage of the disease

The fever lasts for a week and a half, and in the last three days there has been a drop in temperature.

During the entire period of fever, the patient is troubled by the following signs of typhus:

• headache and muscle weakness, which is concentrated in the lumbar region;
• delayed heart rate;
• increase in the size of the spleen;
• falling blood pressure;
• hyperemia of the facial skin and redness of the eyes.

With the progression of typhus there are such symptoms:

1. On the affected area of ​​the skin appears primary affect, expressed by a dense infiltrate of small dimensions, having a brown-black crust. This formation is also accompanied by the formation of lymphadenitis, characterized by an increase in lymph nodes.
2. Eruptions are found on the back, chest, in the places of flexion of limbs, feet and palms. The rash persists throughout the febrile state and often after the disease, pigmentation of the skin is formed in its place.
3. In severe situations, a typhoid status develops, which is accompanied by a mental disorder, talkativeness, excessive mental agitation and memory impairment. A shallow sleep with dreadful dreams leads to the fact that patients are simply afraid to sleep.

Recovery

As recovery, signs of typhus begin to recede. This period is characterized by a decrease in the rash. However, for another two weeks, the patient is concerned about apathy, weakness, pallor of the skin.

Complications of tick-borne typhus

The disease can provoke the appearance of such serious consequences:

• infectious-toxic shock, accompanied by a decrease in temperature due to heart failure;
• the consequence of the disease may be thromboembolism, myocarditis and thrombosis;
• defeat of the nervous system (meningitis);
• In the event of a secondary infection, pneumonia, thrombophlebitis and furunculosis begin to develop;
• Bed rest is capable of provoking bedsores.

Treatment of typhus

Patients suffering from typhus should take antibiotics that depress the pathogen. These drugs include Levomycetin and Tetracycline, the reception of which is carried out for at least ten days.

Also an important component of the treatment is the use of antipyretics (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol), glycosides (Strophatin). As a rule, the patient is prescribed an infusion therapy, which provides for the use crystalloid and colloidal compositions.

In the event of complications, such medications may be prescribed:

• at the initial stages the patient is given Heparin;
• to prevent the development of thrombosis use anticoagulants (Heparin, Phenilin and Fraksiparin);
• when the work of the nervous system is disrupted, Haloperidol, Seduxen.

As a rule, the forecast is favorable. The patient completely recovers, there were no cases of occurrence of residual phenomena. The probability of a fatal outcome in the absence of correct treatment is 15%.