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Flea-borne typhus can be transmitted to people from infected fleas and their excrement. The infection often occurs when infected flea feces are rubbed on the eyes or on scratches and cuts. ( Wikimedia Commons )
Downtown Los Angeles has been hit by a flea-typhus epidemic, with Pasadena being the most affected.
What is typhus flea and how to prevent it?
Flea typhus in Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department announced this week that it is investigating an outbreak of typhus transmitted by fleas in the county, with some regions already having an unusually high number of cases. In particular, Long Beach, Calif., Has already doubled its typical annual infections with 12 cases in 2018 so far, while the city of Pasadena seems to be the most affected, with 20 cases already recorded, mostly the latter two. month. Pasadena usually only has five registered cases a year.
To date, the rest of the county has nine infections, which is already enough to make it an epidemic. Health authorities in Pasadena describe the situation as "reaching epidemic levels".
Animal fleas and inhuman conditions
According to the health authorities, the main cause of these infections is fleas of domestic and wild animals. Fleas infected with typhus often come from animals such as cats, opossums and rats, but they do not get sick. However, people can become infected and become ill if they are bitten by an infected flea or when stool infected with the flea is rubbed in the eyes or in cuts and scrapes of the skin.
Experts stress that the real problem at the root of the disease lies in the poor conditions of movement and life of people. In fact, all infected people would have lived or worked in downtown Los Angeles, where homeless people are expanding.
"Places where there is an accumulation of litter that attracts wildlife such as wildcats, rats and opossums that may carry an infected flea may increase the risk of exposure," notes the Department of Public Health County.
"We encourage pet owners to practice flea control safely and all towns in the county to ensure the maintenance of their garbage and rodent control activities," added the health officer. from Los Angeles County, Muntu Davis, MD, MPH.
Flea typhus
Flea typhus is a bacterial disease caused by Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia felis. Cases of typhus fleas are recorded worldwide, but tropical and coastal areas are at greater risk of infection. In the United States, Texas, Hawaii and California have the highest number of cases each year, with the disease being considered endemic or still present in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Most cases of flea-borne typhus are not detected and disappear on their own, but some people may have fever, chills, headaches and muscle aches within 6 to 14 days following the contact or the bite. Some may even develop rashes that start at the chest and spread to the sides and back. Deaths due to the disease are rare in the world between 2 and 4% only in places where treatment is unavailable, but they are usually treated with antibiotics and recovery is expected in a few days.
Avoid fleas
Avoiding direct contact with fleas by discouraging rats, opossums, cats, and other wild animals from traveling home is important to prevent typhus transmitted by fleas. This can be done by keeping the area around the house clean, by not leaving food outside and keeping cats indoors.
It is also important to have good flea control practices, such as using insect repellents with DEET, wearing appropriate clothing on the outside, avoiding wild animals, maintaining trash lids. properly closed to prevent wild animals from searching them, and getting rid of other wildlife can sleep or burrow.
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