| Description |
| Rickettsia typhi that are carried by rat fleas |
| Location |
| Gulf Coast states and southern California |
| Cause |
| Fever caused by bite from rat fleas |
| Symptoms |
| Abdominal pain, backache, dull red rash beginning on middle of back, extremely high fever lasting up to 2 weeks, dry cough, headache, joint pain, nausea, vomiting |
| Treatment |
| Seek medical attention from a physician |
| Prevention |
| Bathing, boiling clothes or avoiding infested clothing for five days |
| Other Facts |
| Organism enters the bloodstream when feces are scratched or rubbed into a flea-bite wound or other breaks in the skin. |
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