An ancient disease spread by fleas has been making a comeback in California as of late. Health officials are warning the public to stay on the lookout for flea-borne typhus, particularly in the city of Los Angeles.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported that there were more than 200 documented flea-borne typhus cases in the area last year, setting a new county record. The cases occurred across all ages, and about 90% were hospitalized as a result. Officials are advising residents to take appropriate precautions against the disease, such as making sure their pets are receiving regular flea control.
“Flea-borne typhus can cause serious illness, but it is preventable with simple steps,” said Muntu Davis, a Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a statement from the department.
An old disease returns
Flea-borne typhus, also called murine or endemic typhus, is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi. It’s a relative of the bacteria responsible for epidemic typhus, which is instead spread by body lice (a third type, scrub typhus, is spread by mites). Though the disease is typically less severe than epidemic typhus and rarely fatal, it’s certainly no picnic. Symptoms tend to emerge one to two weeks after infection and include fever, headache, vomiting, and a distinctive rash.
The bacteria’s natural hosts are rats and other small mammals. Humans usually get sick when infected fleas poop out the bacteria into the bites they make in humans or other open wounds; people can also catch it through breathing in infected flea dust or rubbing it into their eyes. Most of the time, though, people aren’t aware of how exactly they got infected or even when they were recently exposed to fleas.
Though we’ve known about the various types of typhus since the 1500s, improved sanitation and the wide availability of antibiotics have made flea-borne typhus a rarity in places like the U.S. In recent years, however, it’s started to make a return in Los Angeles. And last year seems to have been the worst yet.
According to the health department, there were 220 cases identified in LA last year, the highest ever recorded in the area since modern tracking began. Preliminary data from the California Department of Public Health also indicates there was a record high in cases statewide last year as well. The ages of the victims ranged from 1 to 85, and roughly 90% of cases were hospitalized.
How to prevent typhus
Like many infectious diseases, typhus can spread more easily among already vulnerable groups, such as people who are experiencing homelessness or who live in rat-infested buildings. But anyone can catch the disease, and pet owners are another higher-risk group, due to the fleas that their dogs or cats might bring in from the outdoors without notice.
So health officials are warning the public to take steps needed to curtail the disease.
“With cases at an all-time high and most requiring hospitalization, it’s critical that people take simple steps now, such as routinely using flea control on their pets, avoiding contact with stray animals, and preventing wildlife from living in or around their homes,” Davis said.
