Relapsing Fever

An acute infection characterized by recurrent episodes of PYREXIA alternating with asymptomatic intervals of apparent recovery. This condition is caused by SPIROCHETES of the genus BORRELIA. It is transmitted by the BITES of either the body louse (PEDICULUS humanus corporis), for which humans are the reservoir, or by soft ticks of the genus ORNITHODOROS, for which rodents and other animals are the principal reservoirs.

Also Known As:

Networked: 229 relevant articles (9 outcomes, 12 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Infection
2.	Bacteremia
3.	Meningitis
4.	Lyme Disease (Disease, Lyme)
5.	Syphilis

Experts

1.	Schwan, Tom G: 12 articles (01/2012 - 02/2003)
2.	Barbour, Alan G: 11 articles (07/2015 - 02/2004)
3.	Raffel, Sandra J: 10 articles (01/2012 - 02/2003)
4.	Schrumpf, Merry E: 8 articles (04/2010 - 02/2003)
5.	Zückert, Wolfram R: 7 articles (12/2011 - 03/2004)
6.	Porcella, Stephen F: 7 articles (08/2009 - 02/2003)
7.	Bergström, Sven: 6 articles (01/2014 - 03/2008)
8.	Lopez, Job E: 6 articles (01/2013 - 12/2008)
9.	Londoño, Diana: 6 articles (01/2010 - 11/2005)
10.	Cadavid, Diego: 6 articles (01/2010 - 11/2005)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Relapsing Fever:

1.	Complement System Proteins (Complement)IBA 10/01/2014 - "The relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi resists complement-mediated killing by human serum." 01/01/2014 - "The relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi is cultivable in a modified Kelly-Pettenkofer medium, and is resistant to human complement." 05/01/2008 - "Bactericidal action of a complement-independent antibody against relapsing fever Borrelia resides in its variable region." 01/01/1948 - "A complement fixation test for the diagnosis of relapsing fever." 01/01/2013 - "valaisiana to inhibit bacteriolysis appears not to involve binding of the key host complement regulators of the alternative, classical, and lectin pathways as already known for serum-resistant Lyme disease or relapsing fever borreliae."
2.	Tetracycline (Achromycin)FDA LinkGeneric 09/01/2003 - "The best treatment for relapsing fever is tetracycline or doxycycline. " 01/01/1995 - "A clinical trial was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of procaine penicillin and tetracycline, respectively, in the treatment of louse-borne relapsing fever. " 01/01/1995 - "Treatment of louse-borne relapsing fever with low dose penicillin or tetracycline: a clinical trial." 07/01/1992 - "Tetracycline versus penicillin in the treatment of louse-borne relapsing fever." 05/01/1983 - "Pathophysiology and immunology of the Jarisch-Herxheimer-like reaction in louse-borne relapsing fever: comparison of tetracycline and slow-release penicillin."
3.	Immunoglobulin M (IgM)IBA 12/01/2006 - "While these results indicated that the production of IgM was delayed in MyD88(-/-) mice, they also point to a second, antibody-independent role for MyD88 signaling in host defense to relapsing fever Borrelia. " 12/01/2006 - "Relapsing fever Borrelia spp. undergo antigenic variation, achieve high levels in blood, and require rapid production of immunoglobulin M (IgM) for clearance. " 04/01/2003 - "Together these results support the model that B1b cells generate the T-independent IgM required for the control and resolution of relapsing fever borreliosis." 04/01/2003 - "The resolution of relapsing fever borreliosis requires IgM and is concurrent with expansion of B1b lymphocytes." 03/01/1985 - "Positive reactions in the IgM Dot-ELISA occurred in 2 of 30 control, 4 of 10 Lyme disease, 1 of 11 relapsing fever, and 1 of 8 yaws sera; 10 syphilis patient sera were nonreactive. "
4.	Penicillins (Penicillin)FDA Link 01/01/1995 - "As mortality is linked to severe JHR, and most relapses are clinically mild and easily treated, these results speak in favour of using low-dose penicillin to initiate the treatment of relapsing fever." 08/01/1949 - "The effect of penicillin on the behaviour of spirochaetes in natural and inoculated relapsing fever." 09/01/1947 - "Comparative effectiveness of penicillins G, F, K, and X in experimental relapsing fever." 06/01/1947 - "Relapsing fever in Cullinan (Transvaal) with a short reference to penicillin therapy." 03/01/1947 - "Penicillin therapy in relapsing fever; report of four cases."
5.	Interleukin-10 (Interleukin 10)IBA 08/01/2008 - "Our results indicate that at times of high pathogen load, as during peak bacteremia in relapsing fever borreliosis, IL-10 protects innate immune cells from apoptosis via inhibition of TNF resulting in improved pathogen control." 01/01/2007 - "Role of interleukin 10 during persistent infection with the relapsing fever Spirochete Borrelia turicatae." 10/01/2008 - "In previous studies of the pathogenesis of spirochetal brain infection, mice inoculated with Borrelia turicatae, an agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in North America, developed mild meningitis and parenchymal activation/infiltration by interleukin 10 (IL-10)-producing microglia/macrophages. " 01/01/2007 - "The results suggest IL-10 plays a protective role as a down-regulator of inflammation and pathogen load during infection with relapsing fever spirochetes."
6.	MeptazinolIBA 04/16/1983 - "Meptazinol is the first effective treatment for the J-HR of louse-borne relapsing fever. " 04/16/1983 - "Meptazinol diminishes the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction of relapsing fever." 04/16/1983 - "Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, and meptazinol, an opioid antagonist with agonist properties, were tested in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 24 Ethiopian patients with louse-borne relapsing fever. " 05/21/1983 - "Meptazinol, a partial opioid agonist, diminishes the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction in relapsing fever whereas naloxone, a pure opioid antagonist, is virtually inert. "
7.	AntibodiesIBA 10/01/2014 - "Additionally, we found antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (SL) spp. in 21% of voles, against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in 2.6%, Rickettsia spp. in 13%, relapsing fever Borrelia (3.9%), and T. " 01/01/2012 - "Small mammals were captured, thin blood smears were examined microscopically for spirochetes, and serum samples were tested for antibodies to relapsing fever spirochetes. " 10/01/2000 - "We conclude that assessment of anti-GlpQ antibodies will allow serological confirmation of louse-borne relapsing fever and determination of disease prevalence." 05/01/1999 - "The diagnosis was confirmed by the standard Giemsa hemoscopy and by the identification of significant titers of antibodies to Borrelia spp. of tick-borne relapsing fevers by specific immunofluorescence and Western blot tests. " 12/01/1998 - "We found antibodies to different forms of variable major protein in two patients with louse-borne relapsing fever. "
8.	Doxycycline (Vibramycin)FDA LinkGeneric 04/01/2008 - "A rare case of relapsing fever which was successfully treated with doxycycline is discussed." 10/12/2006 - "Doxycycline for the prevention of tick-borne relapsing fever." 07/13/2006 - "Postexposure treatment with doxycycline for the prevention of tick-borne relapsing fever." 02/01/1993 - "Late relapse of tick-borne relapsing fever following treatment with doxycycline." 08/01/1975 - "Single-dose doxycycline treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever."
9.	Chlortetracycline (Aureomycin)FDA Link 06/01/1956 - "[New evaluation of the treatment of Spanish relapsing fever with aureomycin]." 06/01/1954 - "[Aureomycin in relapsing fever in Spain]." 03/01/1954 - "[Treatment of relapsing fever in Spain by aureomycin]." 03/01/1953 - "[Relapsing fever and aureomycin]." 10/01/1951 - "The treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever in East Africa with special reference to aureomycin."
10.	Oxytetracycline (Terramycin)FDA Link 06/01/1954 - "[Relapsing fever in Spain and its treatment with terramycin]." 06/15/1953 - "[Terramycin in the treatment of relapsing fever]." 11/01/1955 - "The prevention and treatment of tick-borne relapsing fever with special reference to aureomycin and terramycin." 01/01/1957 - " compounds and penicillin have been shown not to be very effective for the treatment of relapsing fever, but good results have been obtained with Aureomycin and Terramycin."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Blood Transfusion (Blood Transfusions) 03/01/2015 - "Blood transfusion transmission of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi in mice." 05/01/1990 - "Blood transfusion-associated relapsing fever." 01/01/1963 - "[On the possibility of transmission of relapsing fever by blood transfusion]."
2.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 11/01/1953 - "Chemotherapy of experimental relapsing fever in mice with antibiotics and synthetic compounds." 02/01/1995 - "The serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were studied in 25 patients with louse-borne relapsing fever, to evaluate their association with the level of bacteraemia, anti-borrelia chemotherapy and the presence of a Jarish-Herxheimer reaction (JHR). "
3.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 04/05/1946 - "Brain involvement as a possible cause of relapse after treatment in spirochetal relapsing fever." 04/05/1946 - "Brain Involvement as a Possible Cause of Relapse After Treatment in Spirochetal Relapsing Fever."
4.	Kidney Transplantation 08/01/2002 - "We discuss the case of an 18-year-old-boy presenting with relapsing fever, arthralgia, myalgia and renal failure, 7 yr after renal transplantation. "
5.	Lasers (Laser) 01/01/2015 - "Recently, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been reported as a means of identifying cultured borreliae and of identifying both vectors and vectorized pathogens such as detecting relapsing fever borreliae directly in ticks. "