Los Angeles County reports record typhus cases in 2025

Los Angeles County has recorded its highest number of flea-borne typhus cases in 2025, with 220 confirmed diagnoses. This represents an increase from 187 cases the previous year. According to the county’s Department of Public Health, nearly 90% of those infected required hospitalization.

The disease is spread to humans via fleas that feed on infected rodents, such as rats and opossums. Medical expert Dr. Dean Winslow attributed the rise to poor sanitation and living conditions in close proximity to rats, noting that the trend correlates with rising homelessness rates in the region.

Challenges in managing the outbreak include difficulties in rodent control. Dr. Winslow noted that the use of certain rodenticides has been restricted following the signing of Assembly Bill 1788 by Governor Gavin Newsom, which limited the use of four specific chemicals to protect wildlife.