Typhus Disease in the State of Azerbaijan During the Qajar Period (1796-1925)

Abstract

Typhus is a disease common to both humans and animals, transmitted by lice, ticks, or rats. The tick variant of this disease is more prevalent in colder regions such as Azerbaijan, where unsanitary living conditions and a local abundance of ticks may exist. Historically, typhus appeared in Azerbaijan as both a local and an epidemic disease, causing numerous casualties. During the Qajar period, no measures were taken to combat it, and typhus was somewhat managed as an endemic and local disease, with casualties kept to a minimum. However, with the onset of World War I on July 28, 1914, the typhus epidemic escalated due to a lack of sanitation and cleaning materials in the province of Azerbaijan, eventually. It became widespread in March 1917 alongside the triple threats of famine, cholera, and the Spanish flu. It left many casualties at the end of World War I in 1918. In this article, we will first examine the global history of typhus and then delve into the history of endemic and local typhus in Azerbaijan during the Qajar period (1796-1925). Finally, we will explore the role of the typhus epidemic during World War I. We will analyze this in conjunction with other factors such as cholera, spatial influenza, severe famine, malnutrition, and food poverty, which played a significant role in the severity of the disease’s spread and the resulting fatalities among Iranians in Azerbaijan.

Keywords

• history of medicine
• typhus
• qajar period
• world war i
• azerbaijan state
• iran