Epidemic typhus, known as louse-borne typhus, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters where civil life is disrupted.
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15 Facts About Epidemic typhus
2.
Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice, in contrast to endemic typhus which is usually transmitted by fleas.
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3.
Epidemic typhus has historically occurred during times of war and deprivation.
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4.
For example, Epidemic typhus killed millions of prisoners in German Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
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5.
Epidemic typhus is proposed as a strong candidate for the cause of this disease outbreak, supported by both medical and scholarly opinions.
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6.
In London, Epidemic typhus frequently broke out among the ill-kept prisoners of Newgate Gaol and moved into the general city population.
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7.
The Irish Epidemic typhus spread to England, where it was sometimes called "Irish fever" and was noted for its virulence.
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8.
In Canada, the 1847 North American typhus epidemic killed more than 20,000 people, mainly Irish immigrants in fever sheds and other forms of quarantine, who had contracted the disease aboard coffin ships.
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9.
Epidemic typhus concluded that the solution to the outbreak did not lie in individual treatment or by providing small changes in housing, food or clothing, but rather in widespread structural changes to directly address the issue of poverty.
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10.
Epidemic typhus's report led to changes in German public health policy.
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11.
In 1942 and 1943 Epidemic typhus hit French North Africa, Egypt and Iran particularly hard.
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12.
Major developments for Epidemic typhus vaccines started during World War I, as Epidemic typhus caused high mortality, and threatened the health and readiness for soldiers on the battlefield.
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13.
Attempts to create a living vaccine of classical, louse-borne, Epidemic typhus were attempted by French researchers but these proved unsuccessful.
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14.
Typhus-infected lice live in clothing, the prevalence of Epidemic typhus is affected by weather, humidity, poverty and lack of hygiene.
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15.
Lice, and therefore Epidemic typhus, are more prevalent during colder months, especially winter and early spring.
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