So-called because of the characteristic temperature chart showing recurring bouts of fever, this is an infectious disease caused by a SPIROCHAETE. There are two main forms of the disease.
is an EPIDEMIC disease, usually associated with wars and famines, which has occurred in practically every country in the world. It is caused by the bacterium Borrelia recurrentis which is transmitted from person to person by the louse, Pediculus humanus.
The incubation period is up to 12 days (but usually seven). The onset is sudden, with high temperature, generalised aches and pains, and nose-bleeding. In about half of cases, a rash appears at an early stage, beginning in the neck and spreading down over the trunk and arms. JAUNDICE may occur; and both the LIVER and the SPLEEN are enlarged. The temperature subsides after five or six days, to rise again in about a week. There may be up to four such relapses.
Preventive measures are the same as those for TYPHUS FEVER. There is usually a quick response to PENICILLIN; the TETRACYCLINES and CHLORAMPHENICOL are also effective.
is an ENDEMIC disease which occurs in most tropical and sub-tropical countries. The causative organism is Borrelia duttoni, which is transmitted by a tick, Ornithodorus moubata.
The main differences from the louse-borne disease are: (a) the incubation period is usually shorter (3–6 days), as is the febrile period but relapses are much more numerous.
Protective clothing should always be worn in ‘tick country’. Curative treatment is the same as for the louse-borne infection.