2 Cases of Endemic Typhus Confirmed in L.A. County

Two cases of endemic typhus, a disease transmitted to humans by fleas from wild animals, have been confirmed this year in Los Angeles County, health officials said Wednesday.

A 9-year-old girl and a 34-year-old man living near Echo Park contracted the disease after being bitten by fleas, health officials said. Both later recovered.

About 72 cases have been reported in Los Angeles County since 1993, including one death.

The disease is transmitted to humans by fleas from rats, opossums, stray cats and other wild animals, said Dr. Roshan Reporter of the Los Angeles County Health Department’s Acute Communicable Disease Control Unit.

“Endemic typhus . . . is not directly contagious from person to person,” Reporter said. “It’s characterized by fever, headache, muscle ache and rash, and is treatable with antibiotics.”

The communities in which typhus has been detected include Glendale, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Mt. Washington, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Altadena, Pasadena and South Pasadena, officials said.

“All of these communities are in foothill areas with a lot of green vegetation and wild animals,” said Frank Hall, chief of the county’s vector management program, which tracks disease transmission.

To prevent transmission of the disease, officials said, residents should trim ivy, ground cover and other vegetation that can harbor rats and opossums.

“Openings to attics, crawl spaces and similar locations should be sealed off so rats and opossums can’t get into houses, garages or other structures,” Hall said.

Pet owners should keep their domestic animals free of fleas and avoid leaving pet food where it can attract wild animals, he said.

Residents finding rodent infestations should contact the Vector Management Office at (213) 881-4046. For information regarding medical symptoms and treatment, call the Acute Communicable Disease Control Unit at (213) 240-7941.