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Typhus Vaccine
About Typhus Vaccine
Rudolf Weigl developed the first typhus vaccine in Lviv, Poland in 1920. Typhus, caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, is transmitted by lice. The disease killed millions during wars and famines. Weigl cultivated the rickettsia in lice intestines, a dangerous process that required researchers to feed lice on their own legs. Weigl employed dozens of people as lice feeders during World War II, protecting them and others from Nazi persecution. Herald Cox developed a method of growing rickettsia in the yolk sacs of chicken eggs. The Cox vaccine, used by the US during World War II, was based on this method. Typhus vaccination of Allied troops prevented epidemics during the war. Modern typhus is rare but occurs in areas of poor hygiene. No typhus vaccine is currently produced. Antibiotics are effective against typhus.
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