Overview
- The county health department, in an April 2 release, reported 220 cases in 2025 with roughly 90% hospitalized, and officials warned the tally likely skews toward more severe infections.
- Cases were found across the county with outbreak investigations in Central LA, Santa Monica and Willowbrook, and officials have logged 17 cases so far in 2026.
- Flea-borne typhus stems from the bacterium Rickettsia typhi, which enters the body when flea feces get into bites, skin breaks, eyes or lungs, and it does not spread person to person.
- Health leaders urge year-round flea control for pets, avoiding contact with strays, securing trash and home entry points to deter wildlife, and prompt care since antibiotics like doxycycline work best early.
- Public-health data show a broader regional rise, with Texas reporting more than 6,700 cases from 2008 to 2023, about 70% requiring hospital care and 14 deaths.