Louse-borne relapsing fever: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

By Dr. Naomi Kang, MD · 2026-09-09 · Infectious Disease

Our Infectious Disease team put together this overview of louse-borne relapsing fever for patients and families.

About this topic

Topic: louse-borne relapsing fever. A relapsing fever that is characterized by relapsing or recurring episodes of fever, has_material_basis_in Borrelia recurrentis, which is transmitted_by body louse (Pediculus humanus). The infection has_symptom tachypnea, has_symptom tachycardia, has_symptom hepatosplenomegaly and has_symptom lymphadenopathy.

Mentioned in this article

• patient travel risk assessment
• steroid agent therapy

Related care

• N-acetyl-L-cysteine supplementation
• biotin supplementation

Always talk with your care team before making decisions about your health. This content is educational only.