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Typhus In tropical regions of Africa, frequently subject to social and political upheavals, there is a present threat of typhus epidemics, as shown by the recent typhus outbreak in Burundi in 1997. Epidemic typhus should be expected in certain conditions such as: famine, war, high-density populations (refugee camps, prisons), the presence of body louse in the clothing, and in the presence of certain clinical findings. Symptoms include severe infectious syndrome (temperature above 38° C), severe pain and …

…Humans are the only reservoir and are responsible for maintaining the infection during inter-epidemic periods. Outbreaks occur in colder areas where people live in crowded, not hygenic, louse-infested conditions. Milder symptoms of louse-borne typhus can occur years after the primary attack Cleanliness is important in preventing body louse infestations. The easiest control method of occasional infestations is to expose infested clothing to a minimum temperature of 70 degrees C for at least one hour. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**