Typhus may spread in Damascus as water cut-off continues

Writing by Yusra Ahmed

The Syrian Media Organization "SMO", reported that long periods of Water cut-off caused spreading of diseases, especially infectious diseases which spread because of lack of hygiene and personal cleanness.

"SMO" reported that a lady was shocked from the severity of the condition of head lice her daughter suffered, which was difficult to get rid off despite intensive usage of anti-lice shampoo and creams.

“My daughter caught lice from school, which spread quickly all over her head because of lack of water, as we could not see it more than 3 hours a week, Moreover, the lice started to cause infection to her scalp which affected her nerves and other organs”, Natalie, the mother said.

The doctor treated the case expressed her surprise from the severity of the condition, and advised the family to seek treatment abroad.

The mother mentioned that dozens of children suffer from similar symptoms, which threat of medical and humanitarian crisis among children.

Epidemic typhus is an infectious disease caused by bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted from person-to-person by body lice. It is also called camp fever, jail fever, and war fever, names that suggest overcrowding, under-washing, and lowered standards of living, which are the living conditions most of Syrians live in.

the disease spreads by an infected louse which became so by sucking blood from a person who has the disease. As the louse sucks the person’s blood, rickettsiae pass and then transmitted to another person.

Symptoms start with high fever (about 40.5 c), headache, malaise, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a rash that begins about four to seven days on the chest and abdomen after the initial symptoms above develop; the rash often spreads. Some patients may also have a cough and abdominal, joint, and back pain. Symptoms may last for about two weeks and symptoms disappear unless complications or death (less than 2% die) happened.