What are the possible complications?

If typhus is not diagnosed and treated promptly, there is a risk of developing complications, including: long-term hearing loss or tinnitus low blood pressure organ damage and kidney failure secondary bacterial infection, such as pneumonia seizures confusion drowsiness gangrene The patient may need to have hospital follow-up for some months after recovering from an attack of typhus to receive treatment for these long-term problems. Brill-Zinsser disease Some people who previously had epidemic typhus will develop a milder form of the disease years later called Brill-Zinsser disease. This tends to happen when the bacteria were not properly killed off the first time and lie dormant (inactive) in the body. The bacteria then reactivate at a later date when the person's immune system is weak. Brill-Zinsser disease will need treating again with antibiotics.