Flea-borne (murine) typhus, is a disease caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia typhi. Flea-borne typhus is spread to people through contact with infected ...SkipdirectlytositecontentSkipdirectlytopageoptionsSkipdirectlytoA-ZlinkTyphusFeversSectionNavigationCDCHomeFacebookTwitterLinkedInSyndicateFlea-borne(murine)typhusEspañol(Spanish)MinusRelatedPagesOnThisPageSignsandSymptomsDiagnosisandTestingTreatmentPreventionFlea-borne(murine)typhus,isadiseasecausedbyabacteriacalledRickettsiatyphi.Flea-bornetyphusisspreadtopeoplethroughcontactwithinfectedfleas.Fleasbecomeinfectedwhentheybiteinfectedanimals,suchasrats,cats,oropossums.Whenaninfectedfleabitesapersonoranimal,thebitebreakstheskin,causingawound.Fleaspoopwhentheyfeed.Thepoop(alsocalledfleadirt)canthenberubbedintothebitewoundorotherwoundscausinginfection.Peoplecanalsobreatheininfectedfleadirtorrubitintotheireyes.Thisbacteriaisnotspreadfrompersontoperson.Flea-bornetyphusoccursintropicalandsubtropicalclimatesaroundtheworldincludingareasoftheUnitedStates(southernCalifornia,Hawaii,andTexas).Flea-bornetyphusisararediseaseintheUnitedStates.SignsandSymptomsFigure1:Xenopsyllacheopis,theOrientalratfleaSymptomsofflea-bornetyphusbeginwithin2weeksaftercontactwithinfectedfleasorfleadirt.However,peoplemaynotknowtheyhavebeenbittenbyafleaorexposedtofleadirtsotellyourhealthcareproviderabouttimespentoutdoorsorcontactwithanimals.Signsandsymptomsmayinclude:FeverandchillsBodyachesandmusclepainLossofappetiteNauseaVomitingStomachpainCoughRash(typicallyoccursaroundday5ofillness)Severeillnessisrareandmostpeoplerecovercompletely,sometimeswithouttreatment.Untreateddiseasecancausesevereillnessanddamagetooneormoreorgans,includingtheliver,kidneys,heart,lungs,andbrain. TopofPageDiagnosisandTestingThesymptomsofflea-bornetyphusaresimilartosymptomsofmanyotherdiseases.Seeyourhealthcareproviderifyoudevelopthesymptomslistedabove,andbesuretomentioncontactwithfleas,strayanimals(suchascats),orwildlife(suchasratsoropossums).Yourhealthcareprovidermayorderablo