Title: Actions if you suspect louse-borne typhus
Course: Communicable Diseases Part 4 - Ethiopia (Full)

Actions if you suspect louse-borne typhus

If you suspect a case of typhus, your actions should be exactly the same as already described for suspected cases of RF.

What should you do?

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Test for malaria if you are in a malaria endemic area. Refer patients suspected of having typhus to the nearest health centre or hospital, where they will be treated by doctors with special antibiotics. You are not expected to prescribe these drugs. Typhus is an epidemic-prone disease, so search actively for other people locally with a similar illness and report all suspected cases to the District Health Office.

In addition to the above actions, you should also educate your community about how to prevent these louse-borne diseases. This is the subject of the final section of this study session.