City Urges Flea Prevention as LA County Typhus Cases Hit Record High

The Pasadena Public Health Department issued an advisory this week urging residents to protect their pets and properties against fleas after Los Angeles County recorded an all-time high of 220 flea-borne typhus cases in 2025, with nearly nine out of 10 patients requiring hospitalization, according to a county press release on April 2, 2026.

Pasadena itself has reported no typhus cases so far this year, down from two in 2025 and eight in 2024, according to the department’s April 8 press release. But the countywide surge prompted the advisory, which targets a disease that has hit the city hard before — 20 Pasadena residents were diagnosed during an epidemic-level outbreak in 2018, according to the department.

Typhus fever is a bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia typhi and spread to humans through contact with infected fleas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Pasadena, those fleas are most often found on feral cats and opossums, according to the department’s press release. Dogs and cats that spend time outdoors can also carry infected fleas into the home.

The disease can cause high fever, chills, body aches, headaches, and a rash, with symptoms appearing one to two weeks after infection, according to the press release. Typhus is treatable with antibiotics — doxycycline is the CDC-recommended treatment — but early diagnosis is critical. The first typhus-related deaths in LA County since 1993 were reported in 2022, when three adults with underlying conditions died from the disease, according to a CDC report published in August 2023.

“Flea-borne typhus can cause serious illness, but it is preventable with simple steps,” Dr. Muntu Davis, the LA County health officer, said in the county’s April 2 press release.

The disease is not spread from person to person, and infected animals typically do not show signs of illness, according to both the county and city health departments. No vaccine exists to prevent typhus.

The Pasadena health department recommended that residents take these steps: treat pet dogs and cats routinely with flea control medication; trim overgrown vegetation and reduce yard debris to discourage feral cats and opossums; keep garbage containers tightly covered; seal openings and crawl spaces under homes; and avoid leaving pet food outdoors or providing food and water for wild animals.

Pasadena operates its own independent public health department — one of a handful of cities in California to do so — and tracks and investigates typhus cases separately from LA County. Health providers are required to report any suspected or confirmed typhus diagnosis in a Pasadena resident within one working day to the department at (626) 744-6089 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or (626) 744-6043 after hours.

For more information on typhus prevention, the department directed residents to the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at sgvmosquito.org, the CDC at cdc.gov/typhus, and the LA County Department of Public Health at ph.lacounty.gov/typhus.

Countywide, flea-borne typhus has been climbing since 2010, with cases rising from 187 in 2024 to the record 220 in 2025, according to the county health department. Three localized outbreaks were investigated last year in Central Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the unincorporated neighborhood of Willowbrook.

“With cases at an all-time high and most requiring hospitalization, it’s critical that people take simple steps now,” Davis said in the county’s press release, urging residents to use flea control on pets, avoid contact with stray animals, and keep wildlife away from homes.