- Los Angeles County is experiencing a record surge in flea-borne typhus cases, with 220 reported in 2025, marking the highest number ever documented and an increase from 187 cases in 2024.
- Nearly nine out of ten individuals infected with typhus required hospitalization, with cases affecting a wide age range from infants as young as one year old to adults up to 85.
- Flea-borne typhus is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia typhi and is primarily spread by fleas that have bitten infected animals like rats, stray cats, or opossums, with human infection occurring through contact with flea feces.
- While infections have been reported across the county, health officials are currently investigating concentrated outbreak areas in Central Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the Willowbrook neighborhood.
- Public health officials recommend year-round flea control for pets, keeping pets indoors, avoiding stray animals, securing trash to deter rodents, and reporting stray animals or rodents to local animal control to prevent further spread.
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Flea-borne Typhus infections have hit record levels in LA. Here’s how to protect yourself
