What is endemic (flea-borne) typhus?
Endemic typhus is a disease caused by bacteria called rickettsiae. Two types of these bacteria, called Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis, can cause endemic typhus or a typhus-like illness in Southern California. The disease is sometimes also called murine typhus and is found worldwide, mainly in tropical and coastal areas. Today, most cases in the United States are reported from Texas, Hawaii, and Southern California. Prior to 2006, the last reported case in Orange County was in 1993. How do you get endemic typhus? Typhus bacteria are transferred to humans usually as the result of flea bites. Infected fleas have the bacteria in their feces and will often defecate while biting and feeding. When a person scratches the flea bite, he/she can allow some of the bacteria in the flea feces to enter the blood stream. People can also be infected by transferring the bacteria to their eye, nose, or mouth. What animals can carry the typhus bacteria? Cats, opossums, rats, mice, and other small m
