Isolation Used to Address Typhus Then and Now

Regina Ramirez

Isolation
Isolation is a method that has been used by public health professionals in order to prevent and
control the spread of disease. According to the CDC isolation occurs when a sick person who
carries a contagious disease is separated from people who are not sick with said disease (CDC,
2017). It has been used from preventing the spread of disease in the past, and is still relevant to
public health to this day.

Isolation Used to Address Typhus in the Past

Isolation methods were used inadequately during World War II in order to isolate jews who were
infested with lice, which was the cause of Typhus. Jews, however, were not the direct cause of
Typhus and these isolation methods were used in order to segregate innocent people and push
the German agenda (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, N.D.). Typhus is a rare
disease that occurs due to overcrowding and body lice . Symptoms include fever, rash, nausea,
and cough. According to npr.org, 70 people infected with Typhus in New York were isolated
near the East River (Klibanoff, 2014).

Current Use of Isolation to Address

Typhus
While isolation was commonly used to control the
spread of Typhus in the past, it is not as common
today.
Typhus is now treated with doxycycline and
antibiotics at early stages. According to the CDC, prevention methods include avoiding
overcrowded areas, bathing regularly, maintaining cleanliness, and washing and drying clothes
on high heat (CDC, 2020). While isolation methods are essential to prevent the spread of many
disease, Typhus does not require such drastic measures.
Why is Isolation Important in Protecting the Public’s Health Today?
Given the most recent health concerns in the 21st century, such as COVID-19, isolation is still a
very relevant method used to control and prevent the spread of disease. As mentioned by
Connolly and Heymann, many outbreaks can be prevented by a variety of methods that include
isolation (Connolly and Heymann, 2002). According to the CDC, isolating for the first five days
after testing positive for COVID-19 reduces the risk infecting the people around you (CDC,
2022).
References

CDC. (2017, September 29). Quarantine and isolation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 6,
2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/index.html

CDC. (2020, November 13). Epidemic typhus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from
https://www.cdc.gov/typhus/epidemic/index.html

CDC. (2022, August 11). CDC streamlines COVID-19 guidance to help the public better protect themselves and understand their
risk. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html

Connolly, M. A., & Heymann, D. L. (2002, December). Deadly comrades: War and infectious diseases. Lancet (London,
England). Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12504490/

Klibanoff, E. (2014, October 30). Awful moments in quarantine history: Remember typhoid mary? NPR. Retrieved November 6,
2022, from https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/10/30/360120406/awful-moments-in-quarantine-history-
remember-typhoid-mary

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). Propaganda Poster: “Jews Are Lice: They Cause Typhus.” United States
holocaust memorial museum. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://perspectives.ushmm.org/item/propaganda-
poster-jews-are-lice-they-cause-typhus/collection/public-health-under-the-third-reich