# Typhus fever



## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

I have contracted epidemic typhus fever in Cyprus and am currently (and hopefully) recovering in hospital (thankfully the infection is normally easily treatable with antibiotics). I was quite surprised to be put in typhus ward and to hear from the doctors that this is quite a common disease here. It is easy to overlook, I was unwell with headaches and a temperature that would not go below 37 for a week or so before a rash appeared on my abdomen and I descended into incoherent, babbling delirium ( at which point my wife rushed me to A & E). The disease is carried by fleas ticks and mites. Please be careful out there in rural areas and don't just try to shake off a fever or headache. Typhus is potentially fatal without treatment.


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## Baywatch (Mar 30, 2014)

Be well soon!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Wow, sorry to hear your news Kimonas. I hope you get well soon. I had no idea that typhus was even in Cyprus.

Thanks for the warning.


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## wizard4 (Feb 3, 2013)

I did'nt know that either, I have just started treatment for shingles, painfull to say the least, anyway a speedy recovery.

Cheers


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Yes I believe shingles is painful and recovery is a slow job. Hope you are better soon.


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## wizard4 (Feb 3, 2013)

Many thanks Veronica have a nice weekend

Cheers

Ray


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## hiatusxenia (May 6, 2013)

Goodness Kimonas! Berastiga! What a horrible thing to have caught. I know it was prevalent many years ago in Cyprus, but thought it had died out. I do hope you recover soon.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

It seems that there is an archeological dig near Nicosia and several of the people working on the dig have caught Typhus. They are digging near a grave site. It seems the area is overun with rats. It is fleas from rats that spread typhus. Maybe there is a connection?


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## Baywatch (Mar 30, 2014)

Veronica said:


> It seems that there is an archeological dig near Nicosia and several of the people working on the dig have caught Typhus. They are digging near a grave site. It seems the area is overun with rats. It is fleas from rats that spread typhus. Maybe there is a connection?


I found this interesting reading in a well known and respected source

Epidemic typhus. - PubMed - NCBI


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks for the get well messages. I am on the road to recovery. Just to clear up any confusions (although it is confusing) there are several forms of typhus. The devastating loss of life in the past is associated with transmission of the disease via the human body louse, now not a common transmitter (and not the vector in my case). The other main source of infection is bites of ticks, fleas and lice in contact with rats and other rodents in areas where typhus is still endemic (unfortunately Cyprus is one such area). There have been several high profile cases in recent years associated with archaeological sites (which unfortunately most often than not here double up as dumping grounds for local communities and become infested with rats). There are also many other cases which go unreported, where individuals contract the disease almost anywhere. In my case it was probably from a bite associated with fleas from the carob rat (the doctor informed me that a dead rat has an infection radius of approximately 40m radius as any parasites will launch themselves at any warm blooded animal that approaches (with the risk of onward infection from dogs, cats etc). So I could have picked it up almost anywhere near my home (Larnaca district) which is surrounded by carob groves. A fellow patient remembers a flea bite on a recent holiday in Paphos.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Thanks for that information Kimonas. It clears up some misconceptions.
Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery.


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