Typhus

Typhus (TI-fus) is the name for a group of infections caused by bacteria called rickettsiae that are spread by parasites such as lice that live on people or on other warm-blooded animals such as rats and mice.

War, Famine, and Typhus

Throughout history, war and famine have brought outbreaks of typhus, a group of infections spread by parasites that live on people or animals such as rats and mice. During World War II, typhus spread through Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific Islands, and it killed thousands of prisoners in German concentration camps. Epidemic typhus can still be a serious threat in parts of the world where a breakdown in society or a natural calamity such as an earthquake leads to unhealthy living conditions.

What Is Typhus?

Typhus is a group of infections caused by rickettsiae, a group of unusual bacteria. Rickettsiae are like other bacteria in that they can be killed by antibiotics. They are also like viruses, however, in that they must invade living cells in order to grow. There are three main types of typhus: epidemic, murine, and scrub.

* Epidemic typhus, caused by Rickettsia prowazekii, is a severe form of the disease spread by human body lice. In the United States, this type of typhus occasionally is also spread by lice and fleas on flying squirrels. Sometimes the symptoms of typhus become active again years after the individual suffered the original attack; this reoccurrence is called Brill's discase. Brill's discase is milder than epidemic typhus.

* Murine typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, is a milder form of the disease and is spread by fleas on rats, mice, and other rodents.

* Scrub typhus, caused by Rickettsia tsutsugamusbi, is a form of the disease found in the Asian-Pacific area bounded by Japan, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is spread by mites on rats, field mice, and other rodents.

Who Gets Typhus?

Both epidemic and murine typhus are found around the world. However, epidemic typhus is most common in situations where poor hygiene and crowded living conditions exist. Epidemic typhus is rare in the United States. Murine typhus is most common in rat-infested areas. It is the only typс of typhus that occurs regularly in thc United States, but fewer than 100 cases a ycar are reported, mainly in Texas and California.