The Survival Time of the Rickettsias of Murine Typhus in Infected Flea Feces

Abstract

Summary Samples of murine typhus-infected feces from fleas, Xenopsylla cheopis, remained infectious for roof rats by intraperitoneal inoculation in a high percentage of cases until 48 hours after the passage of the feces. Under the conditions of the experiments, at 72 hours after passage only 20 per cent of the samples were infectious and at 96 hours all the samples of feces tested had become noninfectious.