Relapsing Fever

Relapsing fever is a zoonotic disease caused by several species of the spirochaete, Borrelia. It can be transmitted by lice or ticks depending on the species and part of the world in which it occurs.

Borrelia recurrentis is confined to the Horn of Africa and causes louse-borne, epidemic relapsing fever. Other species of Borrelia causing the endemic tick-borne variety occur in pockets in Africa, South America, and Asia. Relapsing fever does not occur in the UK.
The risk to travellers of acquiring this disease is low, but travellers to endemic areas should be aware of the risk and to try and avoid being bitten by lice or ticks.