Murine Typhus

About Murine Typhus:

• It is an infectious disease caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi. 
• Transmission:
  • It is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas. 
  • It is also known as endemic typhus, flea-borne typhus or flea-borne spotted fever. 
  • Rodents like rats, mice and mongoose, are known to be reservoirs of the disease.
  • The disease-carrying fleas can also live on other small mammals, including pets such as cats and dogs. Once a flea is infected, it can spread the disease for the rest of its life.
  • Transmission can also happen through exposure of mucous membranes to infected flea faeces.
• It is spread when infected flea faeces come into contact with cuts or scrapes in the skin. 
• Murine typhus is not spread from one person to another, or from person to fleas.
• The disease has been reported in coastal tropical and subtropical regions, where rats are prevalent. 
• In India, cases of murine typhus have been reported in the Northeast, Madhya Pradesh and Kashmir.
• Symptoms
  • The symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after the exposure and include fever, headaches, body aches, joint pains, nausea, vomiting, and stomach aches. 
  • Some people may later develop rashes on the skin, days after the initial symptoms. 
• Treatment
  • There is no vaccine currently available against the disease. 
  • The antibiotic doxycycline is considered effective in therapy, but early diagnosis is vital for treatment. 

Q1:What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections in people and animals. They work by killing the bacteria or by making it hard for the bacteria to grow and multiply.

Source: Kerala man infected with rare bacterial disease: What to know about murine typhus