Typhus ward in Grace Hospital, Warsaw, Poland. Typhus is a disease associated with contact with rats. It is spread by fleas or lice and symptoms include fever and rash. There are two forms: Murine and Epidemic, with the latter being far more serious and leading to death in a significant proportion of untreated infections. Preventative measures include better sanitation and control of the rat population, and as a result of these the disease has largely died out in Western nations.