Los Angeles Reports 5 Pico-Union Typhus Hospitalizations as Cases Since 2009 Jumped 2,300%
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 5
Los Angeles Reports 5 Pico-Union Typhus Hospitalizations as Cases Since 2009 Jumped 2,300%
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 5
Summary
Five people have been hospitalized in a new flea-borne typhus outbreak in Los Angeles's Pico-Union neighborhood, the latest localized flare-up announced last week.
220 cases were recorded countywide in 2025 after a record 187 in 2024, and officials say the rising caseload is already exceeding their capacity to investigate and respond.
No dedicated typhus funding, garbage buildup, homelessness and weak rodent control have helped rats and infected fleas spread the disease, which can range from treatable illness to death.
Since 2009, reported cases have risen 2,300%; Los Angeles also topped Orkin's 2025 ranking of the nation's most rat-infested major cities.