How is endemic typhus fever spread?
Endemic typhus fever is not directly spread from person-to-person. Disease is spread by rat fleas infected with the bacteria that cause endemic typhus fever. Rat fleas become infected when they feed on the blood of a rat with endemic typhus fever. Infected rat fleas pass infected feces while taking a blood meal from a person. People are infected when infected rat flea feces come into contact with small cuts on the skin. The bite of an infected rat flea may also spread illness to humans. Disease may also be spread in the same way by cat fleas infected with endemic typhus fever caused by Rickettsia felis. Cat fleas probably become infected when they feed on the blood of opossums with endemic typhus fever. It is possible that endemic typhus fever may spread by breathing in dried infected rat flea or cat flea feces. Could endemic typhus fever be used for bioterrorism? No. However, Rickettsia prowazekii, the bacteria that causes epidemic typhus fever, is considered an agent that could be us
