We all can (or most of us) collectively say that fleas are an annoyance that sometimes can be beyond comprehension. The unhappiness and distress that these species bring to animals and humans creates a not so pleasant experience. Typhus is a disease caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia typhi and is spread to humans through contact with infected fleas, especially fleas that have fed on rats or opossums. The transmission and spread are an interesting process. During the act of biting/feeding on an animal or person fleas defecate. The excrement can then be rubbed in the bite area and cause infection. In 2018 a total of 40 cases of murine typhus were reported in Galveston County with cases predominately reported in men and frequent exposures to a variety of hosts. Diagnosis of murine typhus is established through blood tests.
Signs & Symptoms
- Begins within 2 weeks of contact with infected flea or flea dirt (I.e., excrement)
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle Aches
- Nausea
- Cough
- Stomach Pain
Prevention
- Avoid contact with fleas
- Make sure lids on trash cans, compost and other garbage storage apparatuses are secured tight
- Store food in tightly sealed containers
- Prevent rodents from living in your home
- Prevent flea infestations of pets and home by using flea preventative medicine
Treatment
- Antibiotics (I.e., doxycycline)
Resources
https://www.dshs.texas.gov/typhus/flea-borne-typhus-information
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7181902/
https://www.cdc.gov/typhus/murine/index.html
Maegan Traveler is an Education Specialist for Education and Institutional Preparedness for the SPECTRE Program.