What is Epidemic typhus?
'''Epidemic typhus''' is a [[disease]] caused by the [[bacterium]] ''Rickettsia prowazekii''. It is one of the diseases known as Typhus, the other is endemic typhus. Sometimes it is mistaken for an unrelated disease with a similar name, [[Typhoid]] fever. The disease is spread by [[lice]] and [[flea]]s.<ref name=ncbi>{{cite web |url= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002339/ |title=Typhus - PubMed Health |first= |last=|work=ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |year=2011|accessdate=6 July 2011}}</ref> Without treatment, as many as 60% of people who get the disease could die.<ref name=ncbi/> ==Signs of the disease== The signs of epidemic typhus include:<ref name=ncbi/> * Chills * [[Cough]] * [[Fever]] * Pain in the joints * Pain in [[muscle]]s * Eyes sensitive to light * Low [[blood pressure]] * Rash * [[Headache]] * Stupor ==References== {{reflist}} {{Bacterial cutaneous infections}} {{Gram-negative proteobacterial diseases}} {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Diseases caused by bacteria]]