Flea-borne typhus surges across LA County with 90% of cases requiring hospitalization
ABC7 Los Angeles • • health
Key Points:
- Los Angeles County is facing a record surge in flea-borne typhus cases, with 220 infections reported in 2025, up from 187 in 2024, and nearly 90% of patients requiring hospitalization.
- Typhus is a bacterial disease spread by infected fleas commonly found on rats, stray cats, and possums, and symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening, including fever, headache, nausea, and rash.
- The disease is not transmitted person-to-person, but pets that spend time outdoors can carry infected fleas without showing symptoms, posing a risk to humans.
- Health officials recommend year-round flea control for pets, avoiding contact with stray animals, securing trash bins, trimming vegetation, and removing potential rodent habitats to reduce infection risk.
- Prompt antibiotic treatment, such as doxycycline, is essential to prevent severe complications, and recent outbreaks have been investigated in Central L.A., Santa Monica, and Willowbrook.
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