Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918
Epidemic typhus is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted by body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis). This disease occurs where conditions are crowded and unsanitary. This disease accompanied war, famine, and poverty for centuries. Historical and proxy cli...
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doaj-3193ffa17f4d4984b810ae49097adbad2020-11-24T22:16:19ZengCenters for Disease Control and PreventionEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-60592014-03-0120344244710.3201/eid2003.131366Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918Jordan N. BurnsRodolfo Acuna-SotoDavid W. StahleEpidemic typhus is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted by body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis). This disease occurs where conditions are crowded and unsanitary. This disease accompanied war, famine, and poverty for centuries. Historical and proxy climate data indicate that drought was a major factor in the development of typhus epidemics in Mexico during 1655–1918. Evidence was found for 22 large typhus epidemics in central Mexico, and tree-ring chronologies were used to reconstruct moisture levels over central Mexico for the past 500 years. Below-average tree growth, reconstructed drought, and low crop yields occurred during 19 of these 22 typhus epidemics. Historical documents describe how drought created large numbers of environmental refugees that fled the famine-stricken countryside for food relief in towns. These refugees often ended up in improvised shelters in which crowding encouraged conditions necessary for spread of typhus.https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/3/13-1366_articletyphusepidemicbacteriadroughttree ringsMexico |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jordan N. Burns Rodolfo Acuna-Soto David W. Stahle |
spellingShingle |
Jordan N. Burns Rodolfo Acuna-Soto David W. Stahle Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 Emerging Infectious Diseases typhus epidemic bacteria drought tree rings Mexico |
author_facet |
Jordan N. Burns Rodolfo Acuna-Soto David W. Stahle |
author_sort |
Jordan N. Burns |
title |
Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 |
title_short |
Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 |
title_full |
Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 |
title_fullStr |
Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Drought and Epidemic Typhus, Central Mexico, 1655–1918 |
title_sort |
drought and epidemic typhus, central mexico, 1655–1918 |
publisher |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
series |
Emerging Infectious Diseases |
issn |
1080-6040 1080-6059 |
publishDate |
2014-03-01 |
description |
Epidemic typhus is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii and transmitted by body lice (Pediculus humanus corporis). This disease occurs where conditions are crowded and unsanitary. This disease accompanied war, famine, and poverty for centuries. Historical and proxy climate data indicate that drought was a major factor in the development of typhus epidemics in Mexico during 1655–1918. Evidence was found for 22 large typhus epidemics in central Mexico, and tree-ring chronologies were used to reconstruct moisture levels over central Mexico for the past 500 years. Below-average tree growth, reconstructed drought, and low crop yields occurred during 19 of these 22 typhus epidemics. Historical documents describe how drought created large numbers of environmental refugees that fled the famine-stricken countryside for food relief in towns. These refugees often ended up in improvised shelters in which crowding encouraged conditions necessary for spread of typhus. |
topic |
typhus epidemic bacteria drought tree rings Mexico |
url |
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/20/3/13-1366_article |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jordannburns droughtandepidemictyphuscentralmexico16551918 AT rodolfoacunasoto droughtandepidemictyphuscentralmexico16551918 AT davidwstahle droughtandepidemictyphuscentralmexico16551918 |
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1725790716296167424 |