Relapsing fever is an infectious disease marked by repeated episodes of fever that come and go, separated by periods when the person feels relatively well. These cycles of fever are caused by bacteria called *Borrelia*, which are spiral-shaped and transmitted to humans either through lice or soft-bodied ticks. The symptoms typically begin after about a week from infection, with sudden onset and can be quite intense.
The hallmark symptom of relapsing fever is a **high fever** that appears suddenly. This fever usually lasts for several days—often around three to seven days—and then subsides just as abruptly. After this initial episode, the person may feel better for a few days before the fever returns again, hence the name “relapsing.” This cycle can repeat multiple times if untreated.
Alongside the high fevers, people often experience **chills** and shaking chills that accompany each febrile episode. These chills can be severe enough to cause noticeable shivering or trembling throughout the body.
Other common symptoms include:
– **Headache:** Often intense and persistent during febrile episodes.
– **Muscle aches (myalgia):** Generalized muscle pain or soreness is frequent.
– **Joint pain (arthralgia):** Some patients report aching joints during attacks.
– **Sweating:** Profuse sweating usually follows each febrile spike as the temperature drops.
– **Fatigue:** Extreme tiredness or weakness may persist even between episodes.
– **Nausea and abdominal discomfort:** Some individuals experience stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea during attacks.
In some cases, more severe symptoms may develop such as bleeding problems due to low platelet counts or neurological complications like confusion or meningitis-like signs if bacteria spread further in the body.
Because these symptoms come in waves—fever spikes followed by symptom-free intervals—they can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses like malaria or viral infections until proper testing identifies *Borrelia* bacteria in blood samples.
People often do not notice tick bites because soft-bodied ticks feed quickly at night without causing much irritation; similarly lice bites might go unnoticed but spread infection under crowded conditions with poor hygiene.
The pattern of sudden high fevers alternating with periods without symptoms is very characteristic: you might have three to five days of feeling very sick with high temperature and aches followed by about a week where you feel almost normal before it all starts again if untreated. Each relapse tends to be less severe than the first but still uncomfortable enough to disrupt daily life significantly.
Additional signs sometimes reported include:
– Enlarged lymph nodes
– Rash (less common)
– Rapid heartbeat
– Low blood pressure
Pregnant women infected can transmit relapsing fever bacteria from mother to fetus leading to complications such as miscarriage if not treated promptly.
Overall, relapsing fever’s main clinical picture revolves around cyclical bouts of high fevers accompanied by chills, headaches, muscle pains, sweating spells after fevers break, fatigue between episodes plus occasional gastrointestinal upset—all linked together in repeating waves over several weeks unless antibiotics intervene effectively.
