Typhus Facts

According to Drugs.com, typhus is a bacterial disease caused by two types of bacteria--Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia prowazekii. Unclean environments, especially those harboring lice or fleas, spread the disease from animals to humans, causing them to develop flu-like symptoms. Typhus is a serious and potentially deadly disease--Drugs.com states 10 percent to 60 percent of people die from untreated epidemic typhus.

Types

• There are three forms of typhus, called endemic typhus, murine typhus and epidemic typhus. Endemic and murine typhus, caused by the Rickettsia typhi bacteria, typically occur in areas with poor hygiene and cold temperatures. Epidemic typhus, caused by the Rickettsia prowazekii bacteria, occurs when the disease reoccurs in a previously infected person.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of murine typhus include abdominal or back aches, dry cough, hacking, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, a dull red rash beginning on the middle of the body, and a fever of 105 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms of endemic typhus include chills, a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, delirium, joint pain, low blood pressure, a rash that begins on the chest, severe headache, severe muscle pain, and stupor. Endemic typhus also causes lights to look very bright, which can hurt your eyes.

Treatment

• According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), treatment for all types of typhus includes antibiotics such as doxycycline, tetracycline and chloramphenicol. If epidemic typhus is severe enough to require hospitalization, a physician may use intravenous fluids and oxygen to stabilize the patient.

Prevention

• People can avoid catching typhus by avoiding areas infested with fleas or lice.

Complications

• Complications related to all forms of typhus include pneumonia and central nervous system damage. Typhus also can cause renal insufficiency, better known as acute kidney failure.