WordNet
n. acute infection caused by rickettsia and transmitted by the bite of an infected flea; characterized by fever and chills and muscle aches and a rash [syn: rat typhus, urban typhus, endemic typhus]
Wikipedia
Murine typhus (also called endemic typhus) is a form of typhus transmitted by fleas ( Xenopsylla cheopis), usually on rats. (This is in contrast to epidemic typhus, which is usually transmitted by lice.) Murine typhus is an under-recognized entity, as it is often confused with viral illnesses. Most people who are infected do not realize that they have been bitten by fleas.
Usage examples of "murine typhus".
They can carry murine typhus and several types of tapeworms, so it's a great idea to handle dead rodents with gloves and bury the bodies or put them in a sealed plastic bag.
People catch murine typhus when they scratch infected flea droppings into the flea's bite.