Which animal is associated with the sylvatic form of typhus in the United States?

Which animal is associated with the sylvatic form of typhus in the United States?

• A. Bats
• B. Rabbits
• C. Flying squirrels
• D. Raccoons

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that typhus has wild, or sylvatic, cycles in nature. In the United States, this sylvatic form is carried by flying squirrels, which harbor the rickettsial agent in their ectoparasites. Humans typically get infected when they encounter fleas or lice from these squirrels or otherwise come into contact with materials contaminated by them. Bats are more commonly linked to rabies; rabbits are associated with tularemia; raccoons with rabies and other zoonoses. So flying squirrels are the classic reservoir for the sylvatic typhus cycle in the U.S.

The key idea is that typhus has wild, or sylvatic, cycles in nature. In the United States, this sylvatic form is carried by flying squirrels, which harbor the rickettsial agent in their ectoparasites. Humans typically get infected when they encounter fleas or lice from these squirrels or otherwise come into contact with materials contaminated by them. Bats are more commonly linked to rabies; rabbits are associated with tularemia; raccoons with rabies and other zoonoses. So flying squirrels are the classic reservoir for the sylvatic typhus cycle in the U.S.