Public health officials issue warning as flea-borne disease spreads to US city: 'It's really something that we need to be on the watch for'

California health officials are warning the public after confirming five human cases of rare flea-borne typhus this year. 

What's happening?

In mid-August, a human case of flea-borne typhus — previously called murine typhus — was confirmed in Fountain Valley, California. It's the fifth human case of the rare disease this year, with all but one case contracted this summer. 

Fleas become infected with typhus when they bite animals like rats, possums, and stray cats. Once infected, fleas carry typhus for life and can spread the bacteria that causes typhus to other animals and humans. Typhus cannot spread from person to person. 

Public health officials told ABC7 that fleas — and therefore flea-borne typhus — become more prevalent in warmer months as fleas are cold-blooded. 

"[Flea-borne typhus] is spread by the actual flea dirt or the excrement of the fleas, so when you scratch yourself, that dirt gets into your bloodstream," Brian Brannon with Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control told the news station.

Typhus symptoms include fever, rash, and headache. Though contracting flea-typhus is rare, the disease can be devastating and deadly. While most cases are mild, some especially severe cases can require hospitalization.

"Typhus can be a deadly disease, so it's really something that we need to be on the watch for," Brannon told ABC7. No deaths have been reported in the cases found in Orange County.

How is typhus connected to the climate?

The overheating of our planet creates prime conditions for the increased spread of vector-borne illnesses like flea-borne typhus. With temperatures rising due to our changing climate, flea season has become longer and flea populations have increased. Fleas can now thrive in more habitats with rising global temperatures. All of these factors are major contributors to a rise in flea-borne illnesses.

Officials with the CDC previously told Forbes that the number of diseases carried by fleas has nearly tripled from 2004 to 2016, blaming a longer flea season due to climate shifts for the increase. There are about 300 cases of flea-borne typhus in the United States each year, with most cases occurring in California, Texas, and Hawaii.

What's being done about flea-borne typhus?

While it's important to remember that flea-borne typhus in humans is rare, you always want to avoid fleas and the potential diseases they carry. To help stop the spread of flea-borne typhus, health officials encourage community members to stay up-to-date on their pet's flea medication, wear insect repellent outdoors, and clean up trash and food waste that may attract animals like possums and raccoons.

Health officials also recommend avoiding animals that often carry fleas, including feral cats. 

"We really recommend that you don't feed feral cats," Brannon told ABC7. "Don't pet feral cats. You're looking for trouble if you do that."

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