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Murine Typhus
Murine typhus is caused by the organism Ricketssiae typhi. Murine typhus is a milder form of typhus and is seldom fatal. Infective rat fleas defecate rickettsiae while sucking blood, contaminating the bite site and other fresh wound sites. No person to person transmission is possible.
Reservoir of bacterium
Rats, mice and other mammals.
Incubation period
1 - 2 weeks.
Signs and Symptoms
- Headache
- Backache
- Joint pains
- High fever (105˚F)
- Rash (begins on trunk and then spreads peripherally)
Diagnosis
Culture
Treatment
Antibiotic treatment prescribed by medical doctor (include tetracycline or chloramphenicol). Antibiotic drug once commonly used in the treatment of infections caused by various bacteria, including those in the genera Rickettsia and Mycoplasma. Chloramphenicol was originally found as a product of the metabolism of the soil bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae (order Actinomycetales) and is now synthesized chemically.
Control and Prevention
- Public is encouraged to cease dumping domestic waste and bulky refuse in fields or building sites as these quickly turn into hiding/breeding grounds for rats.
- Apply insecticides baits and powders to rat runs, burrows, harborages being careful to follow label instructions.
- Educate on improving living conditions.
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