[ad_1]
October 10, 2018 – Los Angeles public health officials are still working to fight an outbreak of typhus, a bacterial disease spread by infected fleas, in the downtown core and elsewhere in the vast county.
According to Sharon Balter, MD, director of the Communicable Disease Division for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, nine cases of typhus have been observed in the only downtown area from mid-July to early October. Downtown Los Angeles has a large homeless population and, although the nine patients have always lived or worked in downtown Los Angeles, not all of those affected are homeless, she says.
"Homelessness, overcrowded housing, poor hygiene, and poor toilet habits" are all risks of contracting typhus, said Aaron Glatt, MD, chairman of the board of medicine and epidemiologist of South Nassau Communities Hospital, Oceanside, NY.
While typhus is usually present in the county, this number of cases is unusually high in such a short time, she says. From January to early October, 59 cases were documented. "In 2017, there were 67 cases for the entire year," said Balter. "So if we continue [seeing cases]we could exceed the number of last year. "
Nearby, Pasadena reported another 20 cases of typhus, four times more than the city usually sees each year.
According to Balter, typhus is "easily treated with antibiotics", but people can get very sick if they do not get treatment quickly. "
About typhus
The disease of the L.A. epidemic is known as murine typhus and can spread to people from infected flea stool. These feces have bacteria called Rickettsia typhi, according to the CDC.
When these infected feces are accidentally rubbed into scratches or cuts in the skin, people get sick. In L.A. County, according to the Department of Health, typhus infects fleas found on dogs, cats, rats and opossums. Animals carrying typhus themselves do not get sick.
The disease is not spread from person to person.
Symptoms usually appear within 2 weeks of infection. Affected individuals report fever, chills, headaches, sometimes rashes, nausea and vomiting, he says. The symptoms are vague and people can confuse them with other problems, such as the flu or other "insects," says Glatt.
Blood tests or a skin biopsy can help diagnose the disease, he says.
The CDC says most people will recover without treatment, but some cases may be serious. In the absence of treatment, severe cases can result in damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and brain.
The treatment consists of 7-10 day antibiotic therapy, usually doxycycline, says Glatt, also spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "It's very cheap" and effective. But it is best if typhus is caught early. The disease is rarely fatal, but some people need to be hospitalized.
Avoid typhus
Balter urges people to try to prevent the disease by using flea control products on pets. The county plans to distribute flea collars to Los Angeles homeless people for use with their pets, she said.
Balter recommends not forgetting to use EPA-registered flea repellents and not to leave outside pet food likely to attract stray animals. In addition, cover garbage cans to avoid attracting rodents and other animals.
[ad_2]
Source link
