Endemic Typhus Cases on
the Increase in Orange County
For
Immediate Release: January 22, 2008
Contact: Howard
Sutter (714) 834-2178
(Santa Ana) - Endemic (flea-borne) typhus, an illness that prior
to 2006 was considered rare in Orange County, is on the
increase, with six confirmed or probable endemic typhus cases
reported to the Orange County Health Care Agency in the first
few weeks of 2008.
Of the recent cases, four are adults and two are under 18 years
of age. The individuals live in Huntington Beach, Fountain
Valley and Placentia. Endemic typhus is transmitted by the bite
of infected fleas that may be found on cats, opossums, and
rodents. Because cats and opossums are present throughout the
County, human cases may occur in any area. Typhus occurs
naturally in Southern California, with six cases reported in
Orange County during 2007 and one in 2006. Prior to 2006, the
last case reported in Orange County was in 1993. Cases have also
been reported in recent years in the City of Long Beach and
other areas of Los Angeles County.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle ache and rash, and many
of the recent cases have reported having fever for a number of
days before being diagnosed. Typhus is not transmitted from
person to person, and is treatable with antibiotics. Diagnosis
is made through a blood test. Controlling fleas in and around
your home is the key to preventing typhus. Orange County
residents can help prevent typhus cases by:
-
Treating pets and other domestic animals
regularly with flea prevention medications
-
Avoiding contact with opossums, rodents,
feral cats and other animals that could have fleas
-
Sealing off openings to attics and crawl
spaces and keeping vent screens in good repair to prevent
wild animals from gaining access to houses and other
structures
-
Reporting dead opossums, cats or other
animals to your local Animal Control agency for removal
-
Removing or trimming overgrown vegetation
or ground cover where wild animals may hide or nest
-
Keeping trash cans covered at all times
and eliminating outdoor food and water sources including pet
food, bird feeders, and fallen fruit from trees.
The Orange County Health Care Agency is coordinating the
investigation of reported typhus cases with the Orange County
Vector Control District. Information about typhus is available
on the Health Care Agency’s website at
ochealthinfo.com/epi/typhus and has been distributed to Orange
County hospitals, urgent care centers and interested health care
providers. Information is also available by calling the Health
Care Agency’s Health Referral Line at 800-564-8448.
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