The Los Angeles County Public Health Department identified 220 cases of flea-borne typhus last year, a big increase over the ...

Often confused with the flu, flea-borne typhus has seen a steady increase in the last five years in Texas, and the disease can make people sick. Fleas found on rats, opossums, cats and dogs can ...

Typhus symptoms include fever, headache, nausea and a rash, with delayed diagnosis potentially leading to severe illness.

When fleas bite infected animals such as rats, cats or opossums, fleas remain infected for life. The bite of an infected flea on a person breaks the skin and causes a wound. Fleas poop when they feed.

In mid-August, a human case of flea-borne typhus — previously called murine typhus — was confirmed in Fountain Valley, California. It's the fifth human case of the rare disease this year, with all but ...

L.A. County had its worst year on record for flea-borne typhus cases, reporting 220 cases in 2025. Experts say the disease is difficult to eradicate because humans, animals and vectors all play a part ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. The city of Long Beach reported an ...

Typhus is a disease many people thought was a thing of the past. It is not. It's making a comeback. Health officials are reporting a rise in typhus cases, especially in Texas, one of the states where ...