Relapsing fever history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Symptoms of relapsing fever include sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and weakness, occur within 3-7 days (up to 18 days) after exposure. Less common symptoms include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, arthralgias, neck pain or back pain, confusion, lethargy, cough, rash, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.If left untreated, rapid defervescence usually occurs in 2-6 days (range 1-13 days), often with dramatic improvement in symptoms. Most cases eventually resolve spontaneously. Occasionally, resolution ensues by Crisis. During the crisis, patients may develop cerebral edema with seizures, cardiac failure, or death. This stage may result in death in up to 10% of people.Occasionally, crisis occurs after resolution,which is a classic series of stages that a person will go through and may result in death in up to 10% of patients.
History and Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of tick-borne and louse-borne relapsing fever are similar but can be quite variable, depending on the infecting strain of Borrelia and the host's immunity. Patients typically present 3-7 days (up to 18 days) after exposure with sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and weakness.
Common symptoms
- The symptoms of Relapsing fever usually develop within 3-7 days after exposure and start with sudden onset of:
- High fever
- chills
- headache
- myalgias
- weakness
Less common symptoms
- Anorexia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Arthralgias
- Neck or back pain
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Cough
- Rash
- Sore throat
- Swollen lymph nodes