Overview
- The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced Wednesday a localized outbreak in the Pico‑Union neighborhood after five symptomatic residents were hospitalized and have since recovered.
- Health officials say the infection is spread by infected fleas carried on rats, free‑roaming cats, opossums or pets that bring fleas indoors and that it does not spread from person to person.
- Symptoms typically appear one to two weeks after exposure and include fever, headache, rash, body aches, nausea and vomiting, and early diagnosis is important because antibiotics are effective when given promptly.
- Public Health urged specific steps to cut risk: use year‑round flea control on pets, keep pets indoors when possible, avoid contact with stray animals, secure trash and yards, and report rodents or wildlife to animal control.
- Officials noted a longer‑term rise in county cases — a record 220 infections in 2025 with a high hospitalization rate — and warned that continued increases could raise pressure on health services and require broader prevention outreach.