Record Number of Flea-Borne Typhus Cases Reported in Los Angeles County in 2025

Los Angeles County health officials said on April 2 that a record number of flea-borne typhus cases were reported in 2025.

Last year, the county’s health department identified 220 cases, the highest-ever number recorded in the county, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

This marked a rise from 187 cases in 2024. The ages of those infected ranged from 1 to 85 years old, officials said in a statement.

People are often exposed to the infection when fleas are carried indoors by pets or other animals, and in Los Angeles County, infected fleas are commonly found on rats, free-roaming cats, and opossums, the department said.

Flea-borne typhus, also called murine typhus or endemic typhus, is a disease caused by Rickettsia typhi bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Flea-borne typhus can cause serious illness, but it is preventable with simple steps,” Los Angeles County health officer Muntu Davis said. “With cases at an all-time high and most requiring hospitalization, it’s critical that people take simple steps now, such as routinely using flea control on their pets, avoiding contact with stray animals, and preventing wildlife from living in or around their homes.”

The infection can be treated with antibiotics, and early diagnosis helps prevent severe illness and hospitalization, the health department said.

Symptoms of a typhus infection usually appear within a couple of weeks of infection and may include fever, headache, rash, and body aches.

Health officials advised anyone experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention.

Cases reported in Los Angeles County included three localized outbreaks in 2025 in central Los Angeles City, Santa Monica, and Willowbrook in south Los Angeles County.

Texas has reported the highest average number of flea-borne typhus cases, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

More than 6,700 cases of typhus were reported between 2008 and 2023. About 70 percent of the cases were hospitalized, and 14 people died of the disease, it reported.

Murine typhus was first identified in the United States more than 100 years ago. In the 1930s, public health authorities became alarmed by the rising number of typhus cases during the Great Depression and urbanization, but that trend declined as pest eradication increased, according to the CDC.

In March 2025, the CDC identified typhus as an emerging threat in the United States.