Typhus fever’s wild threat? The rat-faced opossum, named in health advisories as culprits in spreading the disease.

When you think of animals carrying fleas, what comes to mind are dogs and cats, a problem that most responsible pet owners know all about.

But an equal, yet lesser known threat is lurking in the wild and unbeknownst to homeowners, living under the floorboards or in the attic. We are talking about opossums.