typhus

Any of several forms of infectious disease caused by rickettsia, especially those transmitted by fleas, lice, or mites, and characterized generally by severe headache, sustained high fever, depression, delirium, and the eruption of red rashes on the skin.

A fever accompanied by great prostration, usually delirium, and an eruption of small reddishpurple spots; ship-fever; jail-fever. Compare typhus fever under fever.

A contagious continued fever lasting from two to three weeks, attended with great prostration and cerebral disorder, and marked by a copious eruption of red spots upon the body. Also called jail fever, famine fever, putrid fever, spottled fever, etc. See Jail fever, under jail.

One of several similar diseases, characterised by high recurrent fever, caused by Rickettsiae bacteria. Not to be confused with typhoid fever.

rickettsial disease transmitted by body lice and characterized by skin rash and high fever