Epidemic louse-borne typhus fever d/t Rickettsia prowazekii

This code represents an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia prowazekii, transmitted to humans by the body louse. It is characterized by a sudden onset of high fever, severe headache, rash, and often neurological symptoms. Untreated, it can lead to severe complications and has a high mortality rate.

Use this code for confirmed cases of epidemic louse-borne typhus fever. Documentation should clearly state the diagnosis of epidemic typhus and, ideally, identify Rickettsia prowazekii as the causative agent through laboratory testing. This code is appropriate for initial diagnosis and subsequent encounters related to the acute infection.

• Ensure documentation specifies "epidemic" and "louse-borne" to differentiate from other forms of typhus.
• Do not confuse with murine (flea-borne) typhus (A75.2) or scrub typhus (A75.3).
• Consider sequencing this code as the primary diagnosis when it is the reason for the encounter.