jan 1, 1837 - Typhus

Description:

The first epidemic broke out in 1837. There are four different types of Typhus:
1) Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever which is caused by Rickettsia australis bacteria and is spread by ticks.
2) Scrub Typhus which is caused by Orienta tsusugamushi bacteria and is spread by harvest mites between humans and/or rodents.
3) Endemic Typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi bacterium and is spread by fleas on rats.
4) Epidemic Typhus is caused by Rickettsia prowazekii bacteria and is spread by lice on humans.
The symptoms of Epidemic Typhus are a fever of 104-105 degrees fahrenheit that can last two weeks, intense headache, chills, general aches all over the body (except for face, palms of hands, or soles of foot), and "fog" (includes mental confusion, seizures, & coma). "Typhos" is a Greek work for smoke, or cloud describing stupor.
Rickettsia prowazekii is a bacterial pathogen. It lives inside cells, like a virus but still a bacterium. It spreads by an arthropod vector such as lice.
Body lice is associated with poor hygiene and crowded living conditions. Things such as Jail Fever, Hunger Fever, Ship Fever, Camp Fever, Napoleon's Typhus, and Russian Fever can be easily related.
Typhus can be spread by lice embedding themselves in seams of clothing. They use their legs to attack clothing fibers and they love cotton underwear. The lice will leave the clothing six or more times a day to feed on the host. The lice poop bacteria while taking up blood, the host then itches the wound, and then the bacteria drives into the body. A mother louse lays five or more eggs a day and eggs will hatch at different intervals depending on the temperature. Lice don't like the hot temperature of a sick host so they'll jump onto another person which spreads the disease. Lice will also become sick from infection and it takes them two weeks to die. If they feed more than six times a day, they can have over eighty-four opportunities to spread the disease.

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