Typhus fever (Brill's disease) complicated by diabetes insipidus: report of a case.

Abstract

Typhus fever (Brill's disease) has been reported only sporadically from areas other than the coastal region of the northeastern United States. As suggested by Brill 1 and Zinsser 2 and established by Murray, 3 cases of recrudescent epidemic typhus would be expected to occur in all localities to which persons from foci in the Old World have migrated. To our knowledge, this is the first case of typhus fever reported from the Middle West despite the presence in this region of a large population of eastern European origin. This patient also showed unusual features including a transient diabetes insipidus. A 51-year-old white male machinist was brought to the Henry Ford Hospital by his family on April 18, 1953. Five days prior to admission there was sudden onset of chills, fever, sweating, malaise, muscular aching, and a nonproductive cough. He was given penicillin by his family doctor for three successive days