| Disease/Syndrome |
Typhus, flea-borne endemic |
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| Category |
Infection, Occupational |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Acute-Moderate |
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| Synonyms |
Murine typhus; Shop typhus; Rickettsia typhi (Rickettsia mooseri) infection; Rickettsia felis infection |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
FINDINGS: The macular rash starts 5-6 days after onset of the fever, appearing on the trunk, legs, and arms. It is present in more than 50% of cases. Splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and mildly elevated liver transaminases are common. Pneumonia and encephalitis are occasionally reported as complications. [ID, p. 1486-7] Other findings in a series of cases from Thailand, Texas, and Greece included abdominal pain (11% to 31%), vomiting (23% to 40%), and jaundice (3% to 11%). The rash may not be visible in dark-skinned patients. Effects on the eye in endemic typhus include keratoconjunctivitis and uveitis. [Guerrant, p. 1570, 548-52] Neurological symptoms include confusion, stupor, seizures, and ataxia. The rash is usually maculopapular and occasionally petechial. Some patients have leukopenia early and leukocytosis after the first week. Other complications are myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, renal failure, and respiratory failure. [PPID, p. 2306-8] EPIDEMIOLOGY: Transmitted by rat fleas, this disease can be prevented by applying insecticides to "rat runs, burrows and harborages." To lessen human exposure to fleas, kill fleas first, then rats. Fewer than 80 cases per year are reported in the USA peaking in late summer and autumn with a high proportion of cases in Texas and southern California. Cat fleas can carry the disease (R. felis infection). Symptoms are similar to louse-borne typhus, but milder. Animal reservoirs include rats, mice and possibly other small mammals (opossums, cats, dogs, etc.) [CCDM, p. 586-7] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
1-2 weeks, usually about 12 days; |
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| Diagnostic |
Detection of antibodies by EIA, PCR, tissue staining, CF, and toxin neutralization test; |
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| ICD-9 Code |
081.0 |
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| Effective Antimicrobics |
Yes |
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| Scope |
Global; occurs anywhere buildings are inhabited by rats and people; [CCDM, p. 586] |
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| Reference Link |
CDC - Murine Typhus PDF File |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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