L.A. County public health investigates Wilshire Center outbreak of flea‑borne typhus

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating a localized outbreak of flea‑borne typhus in the Wilshire Center neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles; seven symptomatic cases have been linked to the cluster, six of the seven people were hospitalized, and all have recovered, Public Health reports.

Public Health says this is the second typhus outbreak it has reported this year; the department also reports 109 cases countywide so far this year and a record 220 cases in 2025. Public Health notes cases have risen in the county since 2010.

The department identifies the primary exposure route as infected fleas carried by pets or wildlife; in Los Angeles County infected fleas are commonly found on rats, free‑roaming cats and opossums. Public Health adds that infected animals often show no signs of illness.

Symptoms typically appear one to two weeks after exposure and may include fever, headache, rash and body aches; Public Health advises anyone with those symptoms who may have been exposed to fleas or animals to seek medical care promptly. The department says flea‑borne typhus is treatable with antibiotics when diagnosed early.

Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, is quoted by the department saying, “As flea‑borne typhus cases continue to increase across Los Angeles County, preventing exposure to fleas on free roaming animals and wildlife is more important than ever. Community members can help protect themselves and their neighbors by keeping pets on flea control year‑round, rodent proofing their homes and making sure wildlife cannot live in or around their homes. Simple steps can prevent serious illness.”

Public Health lists practical prevention steps; routinely use flea control products on pets, keep pets indoors when possible, avoid leaving pet food outdoors, do not feed or touch free‑roaming animals, keep yards free of debris, seal openings where animals can enter, and report stray animals or opossums to local animal control.

What is known: the County Department of Public Health reported the Wilshire Center cluster and provided the case numbers and hospitalization details. What is not yet known publicly: the specific source of the Wilshire Center exposures and whether additional linked cases will be identified as the investigation continues.

Practical consequence: clinicians should consider flea‑borne typhus in patients with compatible febrile illness and relevant exposure; residents should follow the prevention steps above to reduce risk. For more information Public Health directs readers to its typhus information page.

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