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

The number of typhus cases in the county has increased since 2021, when there were 141 recorded cases, rising to 171 in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s uncommon to die from flea-borne typhus, but it has occurred in Los Angeles County.

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

Symptoms of flea-borne typhus include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and a rash on or around the chest, sides and back.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2025

Jack’s fear was not typhus, since he had already had a light case, but starvation.

From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren