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Fleaborne typhus
Animal Care Services
General Information
What is typhus?
Typhus is a bacterial disease that can be
spread from some animals to humans by fleas. A more serious kind
of typhus that is spread by lice, called louse-borne or epidemic
typhus, is not usually observed in the United States. Fleaborne
typhus, also called murine or endemic typhus, is a disease
caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi. Another similar
organism, Rickettsia felis is thought to cause endemic typhus.
What kinds of animals are carriers of
fleaborne typhus?
Typhus can be carried by opossums and cats,
and several species of rodents including rats and mice.
Where did fleaborne typhus come from?
There are two natural cycles of fleaborne
typhus. One involves opossums and possibly feral cats that are
natural reservoirs (animals that both maintain and transmit the
disease organism) for endemic typhus. The cat flea,
Ctenocephalides felis, is the vector (animals that transfer the
disease from one host to another) of endemic typhus. Another
cycle involves rats and rat fleas. In Orange County, recent
cases of typhus are most likely due to an opossum, cat, and cat
flea cycle.
Is fleaborne typhus seasonal in its
occurrence?
Since the disease is spread by fleas, it is
possible that endemic typhus could be transmitted year round.
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Transmission of fleaborne typhus
How do people get fleaborne typhus?
People get fleaborne typhus from an infected
flea. Most fleas defecate while biting; the feces of infected
fleas contain the bacteria that cause the disease. The bacteria
enter the body at the time of the bite wound or from scratching
of the bite area. It is possible to get typhus by inhaling
contaminated, dried flea feces. However, this method of
transmission is not as common as transmission from a biting
flea.
Can you get typhus from another person?
Typhus is not transmitted from
person-to-person.
Who is at risk for getting fleaborne typhus?
All residents of areas where endemic typhus
activity has been identified are at risk of getting the disease.
Older people have the highest risk of severe disease.
What are the symptoms of fleaborne typhus?
Symptoms of typhus most commonly include:
Some people may have:
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Nausea
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Vomiting
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Dry cough
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Abdominal pain
What is the incubation period in humans (time
from infection to first symptoms) for typhus?
The incubation period for typhus is 6 to 14
days. If you suspect that you have typhus, see a physician as
soon as possible.
How is the disease diagnosed?
A physician must order blood tests to tell you
if you have typhus.
How is the disease treated?
This disease is treatable with physician
prescribed antibiotics.
What proportion of people with severe illness
due to fleaborne typhus die?
About one percent of cases may result in
death.
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Prevention of fleaborne typhus
What can I do to reduce my risk of contracting
fleaborne typhus?
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Keep domestic animals free of fleas by
regularly treating them with flea prevention medications.
Consult your veterinarian for more information;
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Keep the area around your home or business
free of fleas. Consult a licensed pest management company
for additional information;
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Trim heavy vegetation such as ivy and
ground cover which provide harborage for wild animals;
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Seal off openings to attics, crawl spaces,
floors, and similar locations so animals cannot gain
entrance to houses and other structures;
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Keep trash cans covered at all times;
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Do not encourage animals to visit your
home by directly or indirectly feeding them. Remove fruit
that has dropped from trees, uneaten pet food, open
trashcans, and bird feeders where it may attract other
animals.
Is there a vaccine against typhus?
There is no vaccine against typhus available
in the U.S.
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Fleaborne typhus
and animals
Do animals infected with typhus die or become
ill?
Reservoir hosts of Rickettsia typhi typically
show no signs of the infection.
For more information on fleaborne typhus,
check our
Orange County Epidemiology Web page on typhus.
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