Murine (Endemic) Typhus
Typhus refers to a group of infectious diseases that are caused by rickettsial organisms and result
in an acute febrile illness; arthropod vectors transmit the etiologic agents to humans. The
principle diseases of this group are epidemic (or louse-borne) typhus, murine (or endemic) typhus,
and scrub typhus. Murine typhus is the only one of these diseases naturally occurring in LAC and
is caused by two bacteria
Rickettsia typhi and
R. felis; both are transmitted through
the bite or contact with feces of an infected flea. Reservoir animals are predominantly rats and
opossums that live in areas with heavy foliage. In LAC, most reported cases of typhus occur in
residents of the foothills of central LAC. Symptoms include fever, severe headache, chills, and
myalgia. A fine, macular rash may appear three to five days after onset. Occasionally,
complications such as pneumonia or hepatitis may occur. Fatalities are uncommon, occurring in less
than 1% of cases. The disease is typically mild in young children. Typhus infection is not vaccine
preventable, but can be treated with antibiotics.
How do you get it?
People get it after being exposed to fleas that are infected with a rickettsial organism.
The flea lives on small mammals that are infected with the organism. When the flea bites
the animal it swallows the bacteria. The next time it bites a person, it will infect the
person with the bacteria.
How long does it take to get murine typhus after I've been exposed to an infected flea?
It takes 1 to 2 weeks to show symptoms, usually about 12 days. Sometimes people don’t
remember that they’ve been exposed to fleas.
How can I keep from getting murine typhus?
Make sure your cats and dogs are free of fleas. Do not leave food out for wild (feral)
cats to eat. They carry fleas. Also, food left out can attract other wild animals
such as opossums and rats that carry fleas. Avoid any interaction with wild cats.
Remember, you don’t need to touch the cat to be exposed to a flea. They can jump from the
cat to you.
