Epidemic typhus facts for kids
Epidemic typhus is a serious disease caused by tiny living things called bacteria. The specific bacteria that cause it are named Rickettsia prowazekii. This disease is one type of typhus. There's another type called endemic typhus. People sometimes confuse epidemic typhus with typhoid fever, which has a similar name but is a different illness. Epidemic typhus spreads through tiny insects like lice and fleas. If someone doesn't get treatment, up to 60% of people who catch it could die, which shows how dangerous it can be.
What are the Signs of Epidemic Typhus?
When someone has epidemic typhus, they might show several signs. These can include:
- Feeling very cold and shivering (chills)
- A Cough
- A high body temperature (Fever)
- Aches in their joints
- Pain in their muscles
- Eyes that hurt when exposed to bright light
- Low blood pressure
- A skin rash
- A bad Headache
- Feeling confused or dazed (stupor)
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Tifus exantemático epidémico para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Epidemic typhus Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.