Typhus Outbreak Spreads To SGV
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About 20 residents in Pasadena have been sickened with flea-borne typhus. LA health officials confirmed an outbreak Downtown as well.
By California News Wire Services, News Partner | Oct 5, 2018 7:30 pm ET
PASADENA, CA — One day after Los Angeles County health officials reported an outbreak of flea-borne typhus in the downtown area, Pasadena officials Friday followed suit, announcing 20 cases so far this year.
According to the Pasadena Public Health Department, the number of cases is at an epidemic level, noting that the city typically has one to five cases a year.
"Typhus fever is a disease that can cause serious complications requiring lengthy hospitalization, and rarely, death," said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Pasadena's health officer. "All residents should take steps to prevent fleas in and around the home."
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health -- the jurisdiction of which does not include Pasadena -- announced an outbreak of flea-borne typhus cases in the downtown Los Angeles area. The disease can cause high fever, chills, headache and rashes in people and can be treated with antibiotics.
The disease can spread in areas where there is an accumulation of trash that attracts wild animals like feral cats, rats and opossums. It is not transmitted person-to-person, according to county health officials.
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To help prevent typhus, health officials recommended that residents:
practice safe flea control;use flea control products on pets;wear pants tucked into socks or boots when outside, and spray insect repellent with DEET on socks and pant cuffs;avoid being near wild or stray animals;never feed or touch wild animals, especially opossums, rats and stray or feral cats;store trash in cans with secure lids to avoid attracting animals;clean places where rats and stray animals sleep, hide or find food, such as crawl spaces, attics or under decks; andwear gloves and a mask when cleaning such areas, and wash hands when finished.City News Service; Photo: City News Service; (Photo by CSIRO via Getty Images)
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