205 –1,530

–1,530 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.*

New Orleans, Typhus (372)
–372 Hinman. “History of Typhus Fever in Louisiana.” AJPH, V26, Nov 1936, p. 1119.

New York City (Typhus and Typhoid) (953)
–953 Rosner. Hives of Sickness: Public Health and Epidemics in [NYC]. 1991, p. 31.

Moyamensing (south Philadelphia) (205)
–205 Typhus. Weigley (Ed.). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. 1982, p. 205.

*Would have preferred to be able to present documents on Typhus and on Typhoid, but the NYC data were combined with no indication of proportions. We do not suggest that the numbers we present are representative of the presence of either Typhus or Typhoid. We present data we have been able to locate.

Narrative Information

Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever: “Typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever are life-threatening illnesses caused by Salmonella serotype Typhi and Salmonella serotype Paratyphi, respectively. Most people in the United States with typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever become infected while traveling abroad, most often to countries where these diseases are common….” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever.)

Typhoid Fever: “Typhoid fever is a bacterial infection of the intestinal tract (bowels/gut) and occasionally the bloodstream caused by the Salmonella Typhi bacteria. This strain of bacteria lives only in humans….People with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract (bowels/gut). In addition, a small number of people, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed Salmonella Typhi in their feces (poop). You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding Salmonella Typhi or if sewage contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where hand-washing is less frequent and water is more likely to be contaminated with sewage….

“Symptoms may be mild or severe and may include fever, headache, constipation or diarrhea (loose stool/poop), rose-colored spots on the trunk of the body, and an enlarged spleen and liver. It is common for symptoms to go away and then appear again. Death occurs in less than 1 percent of those who get antibiotic treatment. Symptoms generally appear one to two weeks after exposure to the bacteria….

“Typhoid fever is treated with antibiotics. Resistance to multiple antibiotics is increasing among the Salmonella bacteria that cause typhoid fever, complicating treatment of infections. People who do not get treatment may continue to have fever for weeks or months, and as many as 20% may die from complications of the infection.

“Most infected people may return to work or school when they have recovered, if they carefully wash hands after using the toilet. Children in daycare and health care workers must obtain the approval of the local or state health department before returning to their routine activities. Food handlers may not return to work until three consecutive negative stool cultures are confirmed….

“People can be reinfected if they come into contact with the bacteria again….

“A vaccine is available for people traveling to developing countries where significant exposure may occur. For more information about vaccination, speak to your health care provider. It is equally important to pay strict attention to food and water precautions while traveling to countries where typhoid is common. When drinking water in a developing country, you should buy it in a sealed bottle, boil it, or chemically treat it. When eating foods, avoid raw fruits and vegetables that cannot be peeled and washed, undercooked foods, and foods from street vendors. Additionally, food handlers may not work while sick with typhoid.” (New York State Department of Health. “Typhoid Fever,” Sep 2017 last review.)

Typhus: “Epidemic typhus, also called louse-borne typhus, is an uncommon disease caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia prowazekii. Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice. Though epidemic typhus was responsible for millions of deaths in previous centuries, it is now considered a rare disease. Occasionally, cases continue to occur, in areas where extreme overcrowding is common and body lice can travel from one person to another. In the United States, rare cases of epidemic typhus, called sylvatic typhus, can occur. These cases occur when people are exposed to flying squirrels and their nests.

“Symptoms of epidemic typhus begin within 2 weeks after contact with infected body lice. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Fever and chills
• Headache
• Rapid breathing
• Body and muscle aches
• Rash
• Cough
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion

“Epidemic typhus should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline can be used in persons of any age….There is no vaccine to prevent epidemic typhus….

“Body lice thrive in areas that are overcrowded and where people aren’t able to bathe or change clothes regularly. To avoid body louse infestations:

• Bathe regularly and change into clean clothes at least once a week.
• Wash louse-infested clothing at least once a week. Machine wash and dry infested clothing and bedding using hot water (at least 130°F), and dry on high heat when possible. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
• Do not share clothing, beds, bedding, or towels used by a person who has body lice or is infected with typhus.
• Treat bedding, uniforms, and other clothing with permethrin. Permethrin kills lice and may provide long-lasting protection for clothing for many washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully. Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.
• People should avoid contact with flying squirrels and their nests.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemic Typhus. Last reviewed 1-18-2019. Accessed 8-7-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/typhus/epidemic/index.html)

Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemic Typhus. Last reviewed 1-18-2019.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typhoid Fever and Paratyphoid Fever. Page last reviewed 8-22-2018. Accessed 8-7-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/typhoid-fever/index.html

Hinman, E. Harold. “History of Typhus Fever in Louisiana.” American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 26, pp. 1117-1124, November 1936. Accessed 3-23-2020 at: https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.26.11.1117

New York State Department of Health. “Typhoid Fever,” Sep 2017 last review. Accessed 6-26-2018 at: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/typhoid_fever/fact_sheet.htm

Rosner, David (Ed.). Hives of Sickness: Public Health and Epidemics in New York City. Rutgers University Press, 1991, 236 pages. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed 3-29-2018 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=o34QxI6lHwAC&pg=PA70&dq=1916+Polio+Epidemic&ei=Cy5DSZWvMIXAMpqalOYN#PPP7,M1

Weigley, Russell F. (Editor). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Co., 1982. Accessed 3-23-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=8OAUwyeYjM8C&printsec=frontcover&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false