Rats and fleas infested Los Angeles City Hall

City Hall officials in Los Angeles plan to tear up all the building's carpets, a cascade of rats and fleas raging in its halls.

The President of the Council, Herb Wesson, filed a request Wednesday to put in place the metamorphosis if necessary against a typhus epidemic in the city center.

Wesson said that a city employee had contracted deadly bacterial disease at work, and he now urges officials to investigate the extent of the long-standing pest problem in council premises.

"Employees should not have to come to work worried about rodents," Wesson told The Times.

"I have the intention to do what we need.

The 91-year-old building has been subjected to an increase in the number of rodents and pests seen in recent months. A number of workers have even contracted typhus in the building

After being stung by a chip, one of his staff last year, Wesson shut down his entire office on the fourth floor and had all the rugs removed.

But after learning that an employee on another floor suffered the same fate, he asked officials to consider how much it would cost to cover the entire building, built there is 91 years old.

The demand came after health officials in the city center announced that the district was in the middle of a typhus epidemic. Several homeless people living near City Hall have been affected.

The disease develops in unsanitary conditions and is often spread by flea infested rats.

Symptoms include high fever, migraines, body aches, rashes and even internal bleeding.

Wesson says that he has not yet seen anyone rush into his office, but many of his colleagues have shared stories and even captured videos of their encounters with the creatures.

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson tabled a motion Wednesday urging officials to act and prioritize worker safety.

Councilor Monica Rodriguez captured one of the many sightings of pests at City Hall this week. You can see a rodent away from workers when they are trying to trap him.

"One or two employees mentioned hearing something in the ceiling," said Wesson.

"Then we had an employee identify what she thought was footprints.

"You should not worry about coming to work and catching a virus."

In November, Assistant Attorney Elizabeth Greenwood said she had contracted the disease in the east wing of the building, causing high fever and dizziness.

"I was shocked. Who thinks of Typhus? Greenwood told KTLA 5. "I thought of Typhus as something I read in history books.

Greenwood says that she was so seriously ill that she thought she was going to die.

"It's terrifying for me to be able to get out of my car, take an elevator to my office, I can catch this disease from a flea bite."

She refuses to return to work until the building is properly fumigated.