Typhus is an infectious disease that is spread by lice or fleas. It is caused by one of two types of bacteria: Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia prowazekii.

There are three different forms of typhus. The Epidemic typhus is transmitted by the human body louse and causes a fever, headache, exhaustion, chills, and rash. The scrub typhus is transmitted and caused by chiggers; symptoms include muscle pain, fever, cough, gastrointestinal symptoms, and headache. The endemic typhus is transmitted by fleas on rats, and sometimes by fleas carried on cats or possums. This form of typhus causes symptoms of joint pain, headache, chills, nausea, fever, vomiting, and cough. Typhus fever rarely leads to complications such as renal insufficiency, pneumonia, and central nervous system damage.

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