Typhus epidemic in Los Angeles carried by fleas, possibly associated with high rates of homelessness



[ad_1]

Health officials reported epidemic levels of typhus in Pasadena on Friday. NBC News reported that, although there are usually five cases of typhus in the region in one year, this year has seen 20 cases, most in the last two months. Long Beach has had 12 cases so far this year, twice as much as normal. In the rest of Los Angeles County, nine cases have been reported since July, bringing the numbers back to a level considered an "epidemic". A statement from the city said: "The Pasadena health department has reported epidemic levels of typhus year." The source is thought to be fleas found on domestic and wild animals, but the way they infect the people is indeterminate at the moment and is the subject of much discussion.

Typhus (also called typhus) is not the same thing as typhoid fever. Typhus is contracted by contact with infected fleas while typhoid fever is transmitted by contaminated water and food. Symptoms of typhus include high fever, rashes, chills and body aches. In rare cases, this can lead to meningitis or death.

A county spokeswoman said by email that all reported cases had one thing in common: living or working in downtown Los Angeles. Andy Bales, who runs a 1,400-bed homelessness center, is not surprised and says that the "Skid Row" conditions are so bad that the region is "ripe for even more serious problems than this one". rats and the large number of dogs belonging to homeless people on Skid Row. Bale had his own nightmare experience in 2014 when he had to be amputated from one leg because of a flesh-eating bacteria to which he had been exposed in downtown. A spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti commented on the epidemic by e-mail.

"We are deploying all available resources to help control and stop this epidemic. The city and county have set up a dedicated working group through our unified homeless center to ensure the safety of Angelenos and guarantee everyone the treatment they need most quickly possible.

Pasadena officials say the epidemic is due to warm temperatures and people interacting with pets who have encountered infected wildlife in canyons and the Angel National Forest. The Los Angeles County Department of Health said he was looking for "high concentrations of fleas and / or infected rats, cats and possums."

A report published in September by a non-profit research organization showed that Los Angeles has about twice as many homeless people in its population as it had previously indicated. He put the number at 102,955. Alice Callaghan of Las Familias del Pueblo, an organization providing services to people living on Skid Row, described the number of homeless people on the sidewalks in Los Angeles as dramatically higher than they were before: "They are like refugee camps.

[ad_2]
Source link