Typhus

Typhus is the name for a number of diseases, caused by bacteria called Rickettsiae. These bacteria are parasites that cannot survive outside their host organism. Depending on the species the host organisms are, fleas (on rats), harvest mites (on several rodents and humans), or lice (on humans). When the term is commonly used, it usually means endemic typhus, which is spread by lice. The name typhus comes from Greek, where it means smoky or hazy. This was the word used to describe the state of mind the patients are in.

Treatment for Typhus

Antibiotics most commonly used to treat typhus include:

doxycycline (preferred treatment)
cholramphenicol (option for those not pregnant or breast-feeding)
ciprofloxacin (used for those who are unable to take doxycycline)


Tetracycline taken by mouth can permanently stain teeth that are still forming. It is usually not prescribed for children until after all of their permanent teeth have grown in.