CDC

COCA Call: Thurs., March 27 - Murine typhus: A re-emerging threat in the U.S.

March 24, 2025

During the 1930s and early 1940s, thousands of cases of murine typhus, a potentially life-threatening, flea borne rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia typhi, were reported annually across the southeastern U.S. Beginning in the mid-1940s, cases declined drastically, due to wide scale sanitation and pest management strategies. However, during the last 25 years, murine typhus has re-emerged with a vengeance across multiple urban centers in the U.S.

Several vertebrate species associated with urban and peri-urban habitats, including rats, opossums, and several species of fleas, contribute to the zoonotic transmission of R. typhi to susceptible human hosts. Murine typhus is treatable with antibiotics, and people who are treated early in the infection recover quickly. Severe disease that can include meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or death may occur in people if treatment is delayed, or if the diagnosis is missed.

During this call, presenters will review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of murine typhus, and discuss its re-emergence in the U.S.

Webinar

Thursday, March 27, 2025
2:00-3:00 P.M. ET

Dial-in information:
Please click this link to join the webinar.

Webinar ID: 161 118 8659
Passcode: 974389
Or One tap mobile: +16692545252,,1611188659#,,,,*974389# US (San Jose)

Or telephone:
+1 646 828 7666 US (New York)
Webinar ID: 161 118 8659
Passcode: 974389

Source:

CDC. (2025, March 27). Murine Typhus: A Re-emerging Threat in the United States. https://www.cdc.gov/coca/hcp/trainings/murine-typhus.html