Officials in California are officially ringing the alarm bells about an outbreak of a flea-borne virus. Los Angeles has seen a rise in typhus cases recently. The city is reporting a record number of flea-borne virus cases.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, there was a record 220 cases in 2025. That was the most that Los Angeles has ever seen. What's more alarming is that nine out of ten cases of the flea-borne virus required hospitalization. As you could probably have guessed, the flea-borne virus is spread by contact with fleas. Fleas contract the virus themselves from biting infected animals. They then act as vectors transporting the virus to humans via either bite or feces.
Symptoms can appear after 14 days of contraction. They include fevers, rash, aches, coughs, and confusion. The best way to treat typhus is to avoid contracting it in the first place. Officials are advising pet owners to use flea control to prevent their animals from developing a tick infestation. They're also advising against going near any stray animals.
Flea-Borne Virus
Sensible, really.
"These cases have been rising year after year. They're occurring in all areas of our county," said Dr. Aiman Halai, Medical Epidemiologist at Public Health L.A. County, also told ABC7. "Some patients can develop severe illnesses in which multiple organ systems can be involved and really can result in death as well."
Your own pets could potentially be harbringers of the disease without ever showing a sign.
"The fleas can be infected and can live on your pet, even though they're well, so you can still be at risk of contracting the disease," Halai said. "Make sure the vegetation around your home is trimmed, making sure there's no bulky items where these animals can hide or crawl spaces where rodents can live."
Rodents and fleas go together like a horrible case of peanut butter and jelly. So keep the trash away and keep the rats away.
