Approach to the Study of Inapparent Form of Relapses in Typhus Fever

Abstract

To test the hypothesis of possible existence of inapparent serorecidives in typhus fever, the study area must have the following conditions:

- at least some part population must be infested by body lice,

- there must be some fresh focci of typhus fever or at least some recent cases,

- there must be previous cases of Brill-Zinsser’s disease as well of typhus fever,

- the study area must be under careful surveillance to ensure that manifest cases of typhus fever (very probable reinfections) are not declared as occult serorecidives.

Such a study area has been found in the villages along the range of the mountain of Vlašić (Travnik).

C. F. test made on 24 bloods taken from children up to 7 years old as well as from 41 bloods from wood workers resulted in positive residual titer in 1 child and 16 workers.

C. F. test as well F. A. test (indirect fluorescent antibody technique) were performed on bloods from 12 patients having had Brill-Zinsser’s disease and 10 patients with previous typhus fever.

From each patient 3 blood samples were taken 4 months apart and none revealed a rise of C. F. and F. A. titters.

On the basis of this preliminary studies the above-mentioned hypothesis couldn’t be proved.