Typhus Makes A Comeback In Galveston, Texas.

reports that “having nearly disappeared from the United States in the 1950s, murine typhus, a flu-like infectious disease transmitted through fleas, seems to be making a comeback in Galveston County.” Dr. Lucas Blanton, an internist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said five cases have been confirmed this year. “Those are all people from Galveston County, and most of those are from Galveston Island. We initially thought this was just a phenomenon on the island, but we’ve found it’s throughout the county,” Blanton said. Typhus is any of several similar diseases caused by Rickettsia bacteria.[1] The name comes from the Greek typhos (τῦφος) meaning smoky or hazy, describing the state of mind of those affected with typhus. The causative organism Rickettsia is an obligate intracellular parasitic bacterium that cannot survive for long outside living cells. It is transmitted to humans via external parasites such as fleas and ticks. While "typhoid" means "typhus-like", typhus and typhoid fever are distinct diseases caused by different genera of bacteria. Not to be confused with Typhoid fever caused by Salmonella food poisoning. http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/Physician-traces-typhus-cases-in-Galveston-area-6464503.php