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Typhus Cases Up
A magnified left lateral view of a male Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, a species known to spread typhus.
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James Gathany
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Courtesy of CDC via Unsplash
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Topline:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put Los Angeles doctors on alert, as typhus, a bacterial infection spread by fleas, makes a comeback in L.A. County.
By the numbers: In 2010, there were 31 cases of flea-borne typhus. Last year, it jumped to 171 cases, killing three people with underlying health conditions.
How it spreads: Infected fleas are carried by rats and animals that many people don’t view as disease carriers, such as feral cats and opossums. When an infected flea bites a person or animal, the bite breaks the skin, causing a wound. Fleas poop when they feed. This poop (also called flea dirt) contains bacteria, which can be rubbed into the bite wound or other wounds and cause an infection. People can also breathe in infected flea dirt or rub it into their eyes, but the bacteria do not spread from person to person.
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It’s treatable: Antibiotics given quickly can clear up the infection in people of all ages, but the problem with typhus is that it can be mistaken for the flu. The CDC is telling doctors to consider typhus when ordering lab tests and ask if a patient has been exposed to fleas. Pet owners should put flea control products on their fluffy friends, including dogs and both indoor and outdoor cats.
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