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Investigations of Relapsing Fever at Home and Abroad

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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

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Abstract

Relapsing fever is an ancient disease of humans first described by Hippocrates long before the development of the germ theory and achromatic microscopes that lay the foundation for the discovery of the causative agents. Two epidemiological forms of the disease exist; these include epidemic relapsing fever that is associated with only humans and the human body louse Pediculus humanus and endemic relapsing fever that is associated with enzootic cycles involving many species of wild animals and soft-bodied ticks in the family Argasidae [21].

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Acknowledgements

I thank James Battisti, Cyril Guyard, Jonas Pettersson, Sandra Stewart, Merry Schrumpf, Paul Policastro, Stephen Porcella, Robert Fischer, Job Lopez and Jennifer Anderson for their help and devotion to the study of relapsing fever discussed herein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, MT, USA

    Tom G. Schwan

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  1. Dept. Health & Human Services, National Institute of Health, Rockledge Drive 6610, Bethesda, 20892, Maryland, USA

    Vassil St. Georgiev

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Schwan, T.G. (2010). Investigations of Relapsing Fever at Home and Abroad. In: Georgiev, V. (eds) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH. Infectious Disease. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-512-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-512-5_11

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-511-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-512-5

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