[Endemic typhus imported to Norway].

Murine typhus, caused by Rickettsia typhi, is an important zoonosis in all parts of the world. The disease is transmitted from rodents to humans by fleas. In this article we describe the first three cases of serologically proven murine typhus imported into Norway during the 1990s. The patients were Norwegian tourists who had visited respectively Guinea-Bissau, Crete and Thailand. They all became acutely ill with fever, chills and severe headache 1-10 days after return to Norway. None of them had a rash. Two patients were admitted to hospital, and one was treated with ciprofloxacin for suspected typhoid fever. All the patients recovered without sequelae. The diagnosis of murine typhus was based on detection of IgM-anti-bodies against R typhi in serum samples during reconvalescence.