Murine typhus: forgotten but not gone.
An occasional patient presents the classical symptoms of a disease that has become uncommon. Typhus is an example of such a disease, since it is now well contained through control of its rodent reservoir. It is readily treated with tetracycline or one of its long-acting analogues, doxycycline or minocycline. Because typhus is infrequently encountered, the physician may not initially include it in his differential diagnosis. Our case serves as a remainder that with the increasingly frequent movement of persons from one geographic area to another, the uncommon rickettsial infection, murine typhus, should continue to be in the differential of a febrile patient. Furthermore, our case underscores the importance of including typhus in the differential of typhoid fever.
Esperanza
L
L
Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa.
Holt
D A
DA
Sinnott
J T
JT
Cancio
M R
MR
Bradley
E A
EA
Deutsch
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000188:drug therapy
D013752:Tetracycline; D004318:Doxycycline