Typhus Vs. Typhoid
Typhoid and typhus are bacterial infections.Typhoid can be contracted from contaminated food, drink or water used for washing. Typhus is spread by lice and rats.
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Cause
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Salmonella typhi bacteria is the cause of typhoid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to Medline Plus, Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia prowazekii are causes of the two forms of Typhus.
Symptoms
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Typhoid infection symptoms include a sustained fever (103 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), weakness, stomach pains, headache and a rash of flat, rose-colored spots. Symptoms of murine or endemic typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, include abdominal pain, backache, a dull red rash spreading from the midsection and high fever for up to two weeks. Symptoms of epidemic typhus, caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, include chills, cough, delirium, severe muscle pain and a rash spreading from the chest.
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Treatment
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Both conditions can be treated with antibiotics. For typhoid, ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin are commonly prescribed. Typhus is often treated with the antibiotics Doxycycline, tetracycline and chloramphenicol.
Avoidance
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Get vaccinated before travel. According to the CDC, there are two vaccines for typhoid: four doses of Ty21a capsules (one capsule by mouth) or an injection of ViCPS (Typhim Vi, Pasteur Merieux). The CDC says no vaccines are available for typhus infection.
Historical Cccurrences
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In 1489, 17,000 Spaniards died from typhus, according to cbwinfo.com. According to a 1998 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, typhoid may have killed Alexander the Great in June 323 CE.
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