Spotted fever, like malaria and yellow fever, belongs to the tropical diseases. In common parlance, spotted fever was formerly also known as lice typhus or hunger typhus. Spotted fever is one of the bacterial infectious diseases transmitted by lice. If left untreated, spotted fever can lead to death and should therefore be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. Those traveling to countries at risk for spotted fever should get vaccinated if necessary.
What is spotted fever?
Spotted fever is a notifiable disease transmitted by vectors such as fleas, mites, lice or ticks. In this case, the bite of the carrier animal results in infection with bacteria of the genus Rickettsia, which initially cause itching and discoloration of the bite site. This is followed by the characteristic bloated face with red coloration that gave spotted fever its name. Other symptoms include fever, chills, and impaired consciousness if the brain is also affected by the infection. The disease is most common in subtropical and tropical areas of the world.
Causes
Spotted fever is always preceded by a bite with an infected carrier animal. Human-to-human transmission is almost impossible. However, the disease can spread rapidly when people live in close proximity to each other and dwell in unsanitary conditions, as is unfortunately still the case in many tropical and subtropical countries today. As a result, parasites jump quickly from one host to another, infecting a human each time. Through the bite of the parasite, the rickettsiae enter the bloodstream of the human and can continue to live there. As with any infection, it is not necessarily the bacteria themselves that are harmful to humans, but primarily their excretory products that act as toxins in the human body. A second infection with the pathogen, however, will be much more harmless, since the patient will already have active immunization. The symptoms are less significant and he suffers significantly less from the disease than in the initial infection.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
In spotted fever, the affected person usually suffers from the usual symptoms of influenza, although there is also redness on the skin. In this case, the redness appears on various parts of the body in the form of spots and can therefore also lead to reduced aesthetics in the patient. Many sufferers feel uncomfortable with the symptoms and also suffer from decreased self-confidence. Similarly, spotted fever leads to a severe headache and aching limbs. Patients suffer from a high fever and, in severe cases, disturbances of consciousness. The rashes on the skin may also be affected by itching, which can further limit the quality of life. Due to the pain, patients feel tired and weary and therefore do not actively participate in everyday life. In most cases, spotted fever can be treated well, so that there are no particular complications and no permanent damage to the affected person. Life expectancy is also not negatively affected. In some cases, the disease can cause nausea and vomiting, although these symptoms occur very rarely.
Course
The incubation period for spotted fever after infection with rickettsia is approximately 10-14 days. Only then do the first symptoms of the disease appear and are manifested, for example, by itching at the site of the bite. Furthermore, this swells and a blue-black discoloration occurs, which the affected patient will notice immediately. As the disease progresses, typical flu symptoms are added, including high fever, headache, aching limbs, and accompanying chills. Characteristic of spotted fever are a swollen, red face and impaired consciousness if the rickettsiae have also affected the brain. Without prompt treatment, most forms of spotted fever can be fatal, but with proper medication, the disease is curable.
Complications
The symptoms and complications of spotted fever are relatively similar to common fever. In this case, the patient suffers from an elevated temperature and likewise from aching limbs and headache. Usually, shortly before the infection, the so-called chills occur and the patient becomes cold.Not infrequently, spotted fever is also accompanied by a skin rash. Due to the fever, the affected person is often no longer able to think clearly or perform physical activities. Daily life is restricted for the duration of the illness. This is especially the case when the fever reaches a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and thus becomes life-threatening. Often the disease lasts for several weeks. The ears are also affected and can lead to temporary deafness or noises in the ear. In the worst case, the infection spreads to the brain, causing encephalitis, which can lead to death if left untreated. With ordinary treatment with the help of antibiotics, there are no further complications. Usually, after the disease, the patient is immune to the virus and does not get sick again.
When should you go to the doctor?
Because spotted fever can lead to the death of the affected person if left untreated in the worst case, patients are always in need of treatment. A doctor should be consulted if the affected person is in the tropics and suffers from severe headache and fever. There is pain in the limbs and chills. Symptoms of spotted fever also include disturbances in consciousness, so some sufferers may also lose consciousness and injure themselves. It is also always advisable to consult a doctor if there is a severe rash or redness of the skin. The symptoms of this disease usually do not appear for two weeks, so they may not show up until the home country. In addition to the usual symptoms of influenza, the redness of the skin are important indicative symptoms of this disease. In the case of spotted fever, a general practitioner or directly the hospital can usually be consulted. The treatment is carried out with the help of antibiotics and leads in most cases to a quick success. Other special measures are usually not necessary in this case.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment of spotted fever is initially accompanied by hospitalization of the patient, who is best kept close to the physicians for observation and treatment. Antibiotics of the tetracycline class have been shown to be particularly effective in controlling rickettsia. The standard agent against spotted fever today is the tetracycline doxycycline. The patient can take it orally unless otherwise prescribed by the physician. In some cases of typhus, however, the patient may be so lethargic that it is difficult to give him the drug orally – in which case it is administered intravenously. Symptomatic treatment is given primarily for high fever, as it could cause permanent damage to the body or, in the worst case, kill the patient. Symptomatic treatment is always decided on a case-by-case basis and readjusted individually for each patient to achieve the best possible effect and help the patient recover.
Outlook and prognosis
If spotted fever is treated early, the prospects for a rapid recovery are usually good. Individual symptoms resolve after a few days to weeks, and long-term sequelae are usually not expected. However, if the disease remains untreated, serious complications can develop. For example, there is a risk that the heart muscle or the brain will become inflamed, resulting in life-threatening symptoms. Untreated fever can also have late effects such as numbness or damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, in the absence of therapy, the prognosis is less positive. In sick, physically weakened or elderly people, a life-threatening condition may develop under certain circumstances. The sufferer then falls into a coma, which can result in long-term consequences. Before this happens, there are usually symptoms of organ failure and other complications, which can already be a considerable burden for the person affected. If no treatment is given by then at the latest, spotted fever takes a severe course, as a result of which the health of the affected person continues to deteriorate. In principle, however, the prognosis for spotted fever is relatively positive, provided that treatment with antibiotics is given early and the affected person takes sufficient rest.
Follow-up
In most cases, no direct measures of aftercare are available to the person affected by typhus.The options for aftercare also depend very much on the exact type and severity of this disease, so that it is generally not possible to make a general prediction. However, the early detection and treatment of this disease is in the foreground for all types in order to prevent further complications. Self-cure cannot occur in this case. The treatment of this disease is carried out with the help of antibiotics. The patient must take the antibiotics regularly and correctly and should follow the doctor’s instructions. The antibiotics should not be taken together with alcohol, otherwise their effect will be weakened. They should be taken even after the symptoms have successfully subsided, if so prescribed by the doctor. The person affected by typhus should in any case rest and take care of his body. Care by one’s family or friends is also very useful. With a correct and early treatment of the spotted fever it does not come thereby also to a reduced life expectancy of the patient.
What you can do yourself
Spotted fever is a notifiable bacterial infectious disease caused by very small rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. The bacteria are transmitted by arthropods such as lice and ticks after biting or being bitten during their blood meal. Although it is a disease of the tropics and subtropics, the pathogen has already been able to penetrate as far as southern Europe in Mediterranean regions and as far as the Black Sea. In the USA, the disease is known as Rocky Mountains Spotted Fever. Self-help measures that directly control the disease do not exist. However, the incubation period of ten to 14 days that typically elapses from the sting or bite to the onset of the disease should be used for diagnostic purposes. If a sting resulted in infection with rickettsiae or other pathogens, a type of ring with blue-black discoloration will form around the site of the sting. If the disease breaks out, self-help measures consist of ensuring sufficient fluid intake during the high fever that accompanies the disease, in parallel with antibiotic treatment of the infectious disease, and possibly reducing the fever a little by cold calf compresses or other suitable home remedies. Typical features of spotted fever are a bright red, swollen face and flu-like symptoms such as headache and aching limbs. If left untreated, the disease can take a severe course with an unfavorable prognosis.