Rat Typhus (Noun)
Meaning
Acute infection caused by rickettsia and transmitted by the bite of an infected flea; characterized by fever and chills and muscle aches and a rash.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- Rat typhus, also known as murine typhus, is an acute infection that is commonly spread to humans through contact with infected fleas.
- A bite from a flea infected with rat typhus can transmit the bacteria rickettsia, causing fever, headache, and a distinctive rash.
- People living in close proximity to rats or mice are at increased risk of contracting rat typhus from flea bites.
- In tropical and subtropical regions, rat typhus outbreaks have been reported among humans following increased contact with infected rodents.
- In many areas of the United States, cases of rat typhus are underreported due to confusion with similar illnesses such as rocky mountain spotted fever.