Rickettsia prowazekii Domina Petric MD Introduction Rickettsia prowazekii

Rickettsia prowazekii Domina Petric, MD

Introduction • Rickettsia prowazekii causes classic typhus (typhus exanthematicus, epidemic typhus). • This bacteria is obligate intracellular bacteria, coccobacill, gram negative.

Pathogen Profile Dictionary http: //www. ppdictionary. com/bacteria/bwu m/prowazekii_files/prowazekii_growing. jpg

Patogenesis Target place for this bacteria are endotel cells of all small blood vessels.

Transmission From louse (Pediculus humanus corporis): there is NO primary lesion or tache noire,

Clinical presentation • Incubation period: 1 to 2 weeks (usually 12 days). • Abrupt onset: fever, severe headache, shivering, malaise, myalgias, arthralgias.

Clinical presentation • After 5 to 7 days from the first symptoms, purple macular rash develops (initially pale on pressure) in axillary pits and upper part of the thorax. • After some time rash centrifugally spreads to all

Purzuit http: //4. bp. blogspot. com/j. Kd 18 Ybsd. D 4/Tfe 5 SY 5 xma. I/AAAAHt. Y/Ft. Nx. QIr. Ua 70/s 1600/typhus%2 Brash. jpg

Clinical presentation • There is usually NO rash on hands, feet and face. • There can be symptoms of toxemia if the patient is not treated. • Mortality of untreated patients can be from 10% to

Clinical presentation Rare manifestations of the disease: • dry cough (with pneumonic infiltration on chest X ray) • coma and delirium (CNS affection) • myocarditis

Treatment Doxycycline 100 mg twice a day 24 to 48 hours after temperature drops.

Brill-Zinsser´s disease • It is late relapse after many years (10 or more years) after the primary infection. • Symptoms are similar to those of classic typhus, but milder and shorter in duration.

Literature • www. ppdictionary. com • Purzuit. com • Begovac J. Božinović D. Lisić M. Baršić B. Schönwald S. Infectology, Profil.