Los Angeles flea‑borne typhus outbreak

In late July 2026, Los Angeles County health officials identified a localized flea‑borne typhus outbreak in the Pico‑Union neighborhood, hospitalising five residents who later recovered. The report highlighted a broader rise in cases county‑wide, with 220 infections recorded in 2025, a historic increase from previous years, and urged residents to control fleas on pets and limit wildlife access.

A week later, city officials linked the disease surge to a sharp rise in homelessness, noting an 8 % increase in the homeless population in 2026. Mayor Karen Bass cited higher living costs and reduced federal safety‑net funding as drivers. Public‑health data showed a 2,300 % jump in typhus cases since 2009, reaching a record level the prior year. Officials pointed to the city’s rat problem, inadequate waste management and restrictions on rodenticides as contributing factors, underscoring the intertwined public‑health and housing challenges facing Los Angeles.

Further data released in early August confirmed that the disease spreads via flea feces from rodents such as rats, opossums and stray cats, not through direct person‑to‑person contact. Officials attributed the surge to a growing rodent population, recent restrictions on certain rodenticides imposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, and expanding homeless encampments that create unsanitary conditions. Public‑health experts warned that the unchecked rodent problem could facilitate other rodent‑borne illnesses, including bubonic plague, and called for intensified pest‑control measures, a review of pesticide regulations, and broader efforts to address homelessness.