Typhus is a bacterial disease that is spread to victims through lice or fleas, which logically connects it to unclean conditions. Endemic typhus, the more severe and deadly form is usually categorized by joint, back, and muscle pain. Those afflicted by typhus also can spike sharp fevers, leading to delirium, as they break out in rashes all over their bodies – rashes which bleed as the disease progresses. By showing just how widespread the infection was at Lowood, Bronte is implying that the conditions there were less-than-ideal and that hygiene may not have been a top priority for the girls there.
Source: "Typhus - Overview." University of Maryland Medical Center. Web. 03 Jan. 2010. http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001363.htm.
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