Recrudescence is the reappearance of a disease after it was thought to have been cured, often seen in malaria. It differs from reinfection and can be treated with medication. Recrudescence can also refer to any type of flare-up or return, with negative connotations.
Recrudescence is the recurrence of a disease after it is thought to have resolved. It classically appears with conditions such as malaria, where the disease-causing parasite can remain present in the blood in low numbers, flaring up again over days, weeks, and sometimes months. This term is very similar to “relapse,” with some people differentiating between the two based on scale; a relapse occurs after a long period of symptom-free life, while a flare appears more rapidly.
This return of an infection can sometimes be confused with a reinfection. In true flare-ups, the patient usually experiences an infection because the immune system has been weakened over time, allowing the infection to recur. In a reinfection, someone picks up an infectious agent again and experiences a new infection. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish in an area where an infection is endemic and it is easy for people to get new infections.
Resurgence of malaria is a very common problem, thanks to the fact that the parasites responsible are notoriously difficult to completely eradicate from the body. Over time, they can suppress the immune system, or patients can experience immune suppression due to stress, fatigue, or another infection, allowing the parasites to multiply again and contribute to the development of malaria symptoms. The intensity of the recurrence can vary according to the patient and the situation.
When a flare-up occurs, it is treated like the primary infection, with medication being administered to address the infection, hopefully clearing the infectious agent and addressing the symptoms that arise as a result of the infection. With conditions such as malaria, the patient may also be placed on a prophylactic drug regimen once the exacerbation has resolved, with the aim of preventing a recurrence in the future. In regions where diseases such as malaria are endemic, residents and visitors may also be encouraged to maintain prophylactic therapy if possible so that they do not become infected in the first place.
People may also refer to “recrudescence” in the sense of any type of flare-up or flare, even when it is not medical in nature. The word can be used in a way that is tied to unpleasant associations; in other words, the return of the circus might not be termed an upsurge because it is seen as an entertaining event, while the return of militant forces to a war zone might be termed as such because it is perceived as a bad thing.
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