ContagionLive: Typhus Outbreak Strikes Los Angeles, but the City Is Not Alone: Public Health Watch

As of February 18th, there were 19 reported cases of Typhus among Los Angeles’ homeless populations. There appears to be a trend considering that there were over 100 cases in California in 2018, 95% of those affected being in the Los Angeles Country area. Agents carrying the disease have been sited as rats, opossums, and household pets bringing infected fleas into the living space. Los Angeles City’s response to the outbreak has been to increase trash collection, however, Dr. Kristy Murray PhD, has noted that often with this response, it takes much time to see an effect. She states that “targeted public health measures” are the key to decreasing transmission, but mentions that it can be difficult to do considering it involves rodent and feral animal control.