Often confused with the flu, flea-borne typhus has seen a steady increase in the last five years in Texas, and the disease can make people sick.

Fleas found on rats, opossums, cats and dogs can possibly transmit flea-borne typhus. It's a bacteria and Texas typically reports the highest number of cases annually.

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According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services , in 2022, there were 580 human cases, the next year, 834, and in 2024, 847.

Fleas become infected when they bite animals that have the disease. When an infected flea bites a human or animal, it breaks the skin. The insect then produces feces, also known as 'flea dirt', which contains bacteria and can enter the body.

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