Fifty years after his release from a concentration camp, a man develops signs and symptoms of typhus. He currently has no known contacts or source of disease exposure; however, he may have had it in 1945 when he experienced similar symptoms. What is the most likely current diagnosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Brill-Zinsser syndrome is a reactivation of the bacterium that causes epidemic typhus, which can occur years after the initial infection. Given the man's history of being in a concentration camp and experiencing similar symptoms in 1945, it is possible that he had a previous infection with epidemic typhus, leading to the reactivation of the bacterium causing his current symptoms. The other options (A, B, and C) are unlikely based on the information given.

Fifty Years After His Release from a Concentration Camp, a Man