McKinney has seen a rise in cases of Flea-borne Typhus, also known as murine or endemic typhus. This disease is transmitted to humans through contact with fleas that have bitten infected animals such as rats, cats, or opossums. The fleas become infected with bacteria when they feed on these animals, which can then be transmitted to humans through flea feces.
Symptoms of typhus include fever, headache, chills, malaise, anorexia, myalgia, rash, nausea, and vomiting. The majority of cases can be fully resolved with appropriate antibiotics. However, if left untreated, severe cases may require hospitalization.
There is currently no vaccine available for murine typhus. To reduce the risk of infection, residents are advised to:
- Clean yards to prevent the habitation of rodents, opossums, and stray cats.
- Remove brush or trash, keep grass mowed, and keep firewood off the ground.
- Avoid leaving pet food out overnight to prevent attracting other animals.
- Prevent rodents from entering homes.
- Treat for fleas as part of rodent control efforts, and use commercial flea control products according to label instructions.
- Regularly control fleas on pets using veterinarian-recommended products.
Flea-borne typhus bacteria do not spread from person to person.
