In a distressing incident, Michael Kohlhof, a 35-year-old Texas man, suffered a severe case of typhus after being bitten by a flea, resulting in the amputation of his hands and parts of his feet.
It all started when Michael began experiencing flu-like symptoms, including fever and upset stomach, last month. As the days passed, his condition worsened rapidly, and he found himself unable to get out of bed. Concerned about his health, Michael sought medical attention at a hospital in San Antonio. Unfortunately, he went into septic shock shortly after arriving and was immediately transferred to the intensive care unit.
As the weeks went by, doctors had to perform amputations on Michael’s toes, a portion of his feet, and his hands up to his forearms due to dry gangrene—a complication of sepsis that hampers blood flow to certain extremities.
Fortunately, Michael regained consciousness after being sedated for nearly two weeks. However, his road to recovery has been filled with numerous skin graft procedures to address the amputations. Doctors are closely monitoring the situation to prevent the spread of dead tissue from gangrene.
Michael, who works as a handyman and pet sitter, is facing the possibility of further amputations if his condition doesn’t improve. This could even entail a full foot amputation for the purpose of prosthetic use.
Typhus is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that can be transmitted through fleas, lice, and chiggers. Common symptoms include fever, chills, and body aches. Flea-borne typhus, in particular, often leads to nausea, cough, stomach pain, and a rash that appears around the fifth day of the illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fleas and lice transmit the bacteria responsible for typhus when they defecate after biting, infecting the wound in the process.
Although typhus is rare in the United States, it has been detected in states like Southern California, Hawaii, and Texas, as reported by the CDC. The true number of cases may be higher than reported because many of them are relatively mild, leading some individuals not to seek medical tests or diagnoses. Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist, points out that typhus symptoms are similar to those of many viral infections, and not everyone develops a rash, making it challenging to identify severe cases.
Michael’s family initially attributed his symptoms to a common flu, causing a delay in seeking medical help. The incubation period for flea-borne typhus ranges from seven to 14 days, making it challenging to pinpoint the exact time and place of exposure.
Due to the rarity of typhus, obtaining a diagnosis often involves sending tests to specialized labs, leading to delays in obtaining results.
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In light of his lack of health insurance, the Kohlhof family created a GoFundMe campaign to support Michael’s treatment. Despite the ordeal he’s facing, Michael maintains an admirable spirit and a positive attitude, holding onto the fact that he has survived such a life-threatening condition.