Typhus Transmission: Lice and Fleas as Carriers

The carriers of typhus are body lice and rat fleas. These ectoparasites are hematophagous, which means they feed on the blood of their hosts. When they do so, they can ingest the bacteria responsible for typhus, Rickettsia prowazekii and Rickettsia typhi, respectively. If an infected parasite then feeds on a human, it can transmit the disease to that person, leading to the development of typhus.