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June 5, 2011 / 3:09 PM

Drought spurs typhus cases in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas, June 5 (UPI) -- Health officials say typhus is no longer a rarity in central Texas.

Travis County officials say they have investigated eight possible or confirmed cases of typhus in the Austin area this year compared to five in the same period last year and six in all of 2009.

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Typhus is considered a rare disease; however, there have been four consecutive annual outbreaks which makes it endemic to the county, the (Austin) American-Statesman said Sunday.

Murine typhus is spread by mice and hitchhiking fleas. Experts believe a long drought in the region has caused more field mice to break into homes and other buildings in search of water.

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