Typhus from fleas hits record level in L.A.: Here are the hot spots
Los Angeles Times • • health
Key Points:
- Los Angeles County reported a record 220 cases of flea-borne typhus in 2025, an increase from 187 cases in 2024, with nearly 90% of infected individuals requiring hospitalization.
- Flea-borne typhus is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia typhi, transmitted to humans through infected flea feces entering cuts or scrapes, often carried by fleas from rats, stray cats, or opossums.
- Three localized outbreaks occurred in 2025 in central Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Willowbrook near Compton, with cases peaking in late summer and fall due to increased flea activity.
- Everyone is at risk, especially those living outdoors or in rodent-infested housing; pet owners are advised to use year-round flea control, avoid contact with stray animals, and secure their property against wildlife.
- Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, body aches, and rash, and the disease is treatable with antibiotics; early diagnosis is crucial to prevent severe illness, though fatalities have occurred in adults with underlying conditions.
