How is epidemic typhus fever spread?
Epidemic typhus fever is not directly spread from person-to-person. Disease is spread by human body lice infected with the bacteria that cause epidemic typhus fever. Human body lice become infected when they feed on the blood of a person with epidemic typhus fever. Infected lice then pass infectious feces when they feed. People become infected when infected lice feces or crushed infected body lice are rubbed into small cuts on the skin. It is the feces, not the bite of the louse that spreads illness to humans. The disease may also be spread when a person breathes infected dried lice feces in dust. The way that the disease is spread from flying squirrels to humans is not well understood. Could epidemic typhus fever be used for bioterrorism? Yes. The bacteria that cause epidemic typhus fever are considered possible bioterrorism agents because the organism can remain alive in lice feces for weeks and can be made into aerosols that, if breathed in, could cause disease. What are the symptom
