Urgent Alert: Flea-borne Typhus Outbreak in LA Neighborhood

WHO:

ABC7 Los Angeles - Los Angeles County health officials reported the outbreak.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Dr. Muntu Davis is the Los Angeles County Health Officer.

WHAT:

NY Post - All five cases of flea-borne typhus resulted in hospitalization.

Yahoo - The Department of Public Health identified 220 cases in 2025, the highest number ever recorded in the county, with an increase from 187 reported cases in 2024.

Yahoo - Those affected by flea-borne typhus in 2025 ranged in age from 1 to 85 years old.

ABC7 Los Angeles - A localized outbreak of flea-borne typhus has been reported in the Pico-Union neighborhood.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Five people have become ill due to flea-borne typhus this year, all of whom were hospitalized but have since recovered.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Nearly nine out of 10 people diagnosed with flea-borne typhus in Los Angeles County in 2025 required hospitalization.

ABC7 Los Angeles - A record 220 flea-borne typhus cases were reported in Los Angeles County in 2025, an increase from 187 cases in 2024.

WHERE:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The outbreak is located in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles County.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Infected fleas are commonly found on rats, free-roaming cats, and opossums in Los Angeles County.

WHEN:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The outbreak was reported this year, with specific reference to the year 2025 for hospitalization statistics and case numbers.

WHY:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The outbreak is attributed to increasing cases of flea-borne typhus countywide.

HOW:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The disease is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia typhi and is spread by infected fleas.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Health officials recommend using flea-control products on pets year-round, keeping pets indoors, avoiding contact with stray animals, keeping yards free of debris, securing trash containers, and reporting stray animals or rodents to local animal control.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 05:58 UTC)

All five cases of flea-borne typhus this year have resulted in hospitalization. The Department of Public Health reported a record 220 cases in 2025, up from 187 cases in 2024. Those affected by this illness ranged in age from just 1 year old to 85 years old.

--

(UPDATED July 31, 2026 21:21 UTC)

Los Angeles County health officials have reported a localized outbreak of flea-borne typhus in the Pico-Union neighborhood, with five individuals hospitalized this year due to the illness, though all have since recovered. Dr. Muntu Davis, the county's health officer, noted that nearly nine out of ten people diagnosed with flea-borne typhus in 2025 required hospitalization, as the county faced a record 220 cases that year, up from 187 in 2024. To combat the spread of the disease, which is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia typhi and transmitted by infected fleas, health officials recommend using flea-control products on pets year-round and maintaining clean yards.