Relapsing fever history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
The symptoms of relapsing fever present 3-7 days (up to 18 days) after exposure with sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and weakness. 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.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.
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.
Incubation period = time from tick bite to illness
- 7 days, range 2 to 18 days
Symptomatic period= Length of illness = time from symptom onset to resolution of symptoms
- 3 days, range 2 to 7 days
- In LBRF, the fever usually lasts 3-6 days and is usually followed by a single, milder episode. In TRBF, multiple episodes of fever occur, and each may last up to 3 days.
Number of relapses = number of episodes of reoccurring/relapsing symptoms
- 3 times, can occur up to 10 times in persons who are not treated. Most cases eventually resolve spontaneously.
- Patients with louse-borne relapsing fever will typically have 1-2 relapses (range 0-6) with each subsequent relapse usually less severe than the previous one.
- Patients with tick-borne relapsing fever usually have 3-5 relapses (range 0-22).
Afebrile period= Length of time before reoccurrence = time from the resolution of symptoms to reoccurrence of symptoms
- 7 days, range 4 to 14 days
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