Typhus is any of several
infectious diseases, each caused by a different
rickettsia microorganism. Louse, or epidemic,
Typhus is the most serious form; the infectious organism, Rickettsia prowazekii, lives only in
humans and body lice. The louse's infected
feces reach the human bloodstream through scratches in the
skin or settlement of the feces in the mucus membranes of the eye or the respiratory tract. The major symptoms are intractable headache, extensive skin rash, and high fever. The mortality rate is significant in untreated persons over 50 years of age. Antibiotic therapy is effective if started early.
Louse typhus can be prevented through vaccination. Endemic murine typhus, or flea typhus, caused by R. mooseri and transmitted from rats to humans by fleas, is much milder and causes fewer fatalities.
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