A 75-year-old patient from the district was diagnosed with Murine typhus and is being treated at SP Medifort Hospital, Enchakkal. The disease, caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi, spreads to humans through fleas. Fleas get infected after coming into contact with rats and rodents, which act as reservoirs. Thiruvananthapuram District Medical Office has been informed about the diagnosis, sources said.

"Murine typhus is a self-limited disease. This is not usually reported here and has not been confirmed recently in Thiruvananthapuram. It doesn't transmit from one human to another. We have received the communication from the hospital where the patient has been admitted," said a senior official with the District Medical Office.

The patient had travelled to Cambodia. "He came with fever, body pain and headache. As he had travelled to Cambodia, where this disease is prevalent, we ran tests, and the results came positive for Murine typhus, which is very rare here. Disease management is routine, and antibiotics and other medicines are used. The patient is totally stable and is now being taken care of at the hospital," said Dr Aathithya, Executive Director, SP Medifort Hospital.

The patient develops symptoms of Murine typhus within three to 14 days of contact with infected fleas. A study published in the National Library of Medicine shows that Rickettsial infections represent a major cause of non-malarial febrile illnesses among Southeast Asian residents and travellers coming from that region.