Louse-borne relapsing fever

Louse-borne relapsing fever (RF) is caused by spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia recurrentis. It is one of the epidemic-prone diseases that can cause small- or large-scale epidemics a. Epidemics of RF are often associated with epidemics of typhus, since both are transmitted by the body louse in similar conditions of overcrowding and lack of hygiene.