Stay Safe: Typhus Death Reported in Travis County



This little guy is not your friend. (Source: KTBC/Fox)

Texas health officials have reported the first ever recorded death due to typhus in Travis County. Officials are not releasing the name, exact age, or gender of the individual, but reports describe the person as a middle-aged resident of Northeast Austin whose exposure was linked to rescuing baby raccoons from inside a wall.

The death is one of two typhus-related cases reported so far this year in Texas. Reports of typhus, while still low, have been on the rise in Texas since 2007. Nearly 300 cases were reported state-wide last year, with 54 of those occurring in Travis County.

Typhus, a bacterial disease , is transmitted through bites from infected fleas, ticks, or lice. The strain implicated in the two reported cases is murine typhus, usually found in ticks and fleas on opossums, raccoons, rats, cats, and dogs. For most people, it is easily treated with antibiotics, but the elderly, the sick, and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk of complication. Health officials recommend that the public use flea control measures to protect themselves and their pets, including feeding pets indoors, wearing long sleeves and pants when outside, and using insect repellents containing the active ingredient DEET. We might also add to that list a gentle suggestion that you call Travis County Animal Control instead of trying to rescue critters (even baby ones) yourself.

A reader kindly suggested to us that an alternative to Travis County Animal Control--and possibly a better choice for animal, as opposed to just getting them out of your house or yard--is Austin Wildlife Rescue . You can reach them at (512) 472-9453.