typhus

American  

[tahy-fuhs] / ˈtaɪ fəs /

noun

Pathology.

1. an acute, infectious disease caused by several species of Rickettsia, transmitted by lice and fleas, and characterized by acute prostration, headache, and a peculiar eruption of reddish spots on the body.

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typhus British  

/ ˈtaɪfəs /

noun

1. Also called: typhus fever.  any one of a group of acute infectious rickettsial diseases characterized by high fever, skin rash, and severe headache

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typhus Scientific  

/ tī′fəs /

1. Any of several forms of an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia transmitted by fleas, mites, or especially lice, and characterized by severe headache, high fever, and skin rash. Louse-born bacteria that cause typhus are especially virulent and can cause epidemics of the disease, which may be fatal in people with weakened immune systems.

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typhus Cultural  

1. A group of acute and contagious diseases, often fatal, marked by severe headaches and high fever. Typhus is transmitted to humans by fleas, lice, or mites that are infected with the microorganism that causes the disease.

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Other Word Forms

• typhous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of typhus

1635–45; < New Latin < Greek tŷphos vapor

Example Sentences

Estela Lopez of the downtown industrial improvement district, where trash is routinely dumped illegally, wrote to say a county report warned that typhus levels downtown had reached an all-time high.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Of the total number of cases in 2025, nearly 9 out of 10 people infected with typhus required hospitalization, according to public health officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Flea-borne typhus infection symptoms include fever, headache, chills, body aches and a rash on or around the chest, sides and back.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Like Donne, we can mine wisdom from the frailty of our mortal bodies—but be grateful that when the bell tolls for thee, plague, smallpox and typhus won’t be to blame.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Cholera, a deadly disease, had just reached England for the first time, and there were epidemics of typhus, typhoid fever, and scarlet fever.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman