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Published Date: 2012-08-16 02:34:58
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Murine typhus - USA (03): (CA)
Archive Number: 20120816.1246475

MURINE TYPHUS - USA (03): (CALIFORNIA)
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Date: Mon 8 Aug 2012
Source: Contra Costa Times [edited]
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_21305093/long-beach-health-officials-warn-flea-borne-typhus

Long Beach health officials warn fleaborne typhus cases are on the rise. The number of fleaborne typhus cases is up over last year [2011], and local health officials are warning residents to take precautions. So far this year, 11 cases of the illness have been reported to the Long Beach Health Department, compared with 9 for all of last year.

The fleaborne typhus -- known as murine typhus [also called endemic typhus] -- is a disease spread by fleas living on rats and mice, opossums, cats, and raccoons, health officials explained. People get the disease through the bites of infected fleas, adding that it isn't spread from person to person. The commonest symptoms of fleaborne typhus are high fevers, severe headaches, body aches, and a rash. The disease is rarely fatal, but people can become sick enough to be hospitalized, health officials said.

Prior to 2006, fleaborne typhus wasn't known to be present in Long Beach. For more information about fleaborne typhus, contact the Health Department's Epidemiology Program at 562-570-4302, check online at http://www.longbeach.gov/health.

[byline: Joe Segura]

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[The news release above reports increasing numbers of cases of murine typhus each year since 2006 in the city of Long Beach, California. For a discussion of murine typhus see ProMED-mail post Murine typhus - USA (02): (CA) 20120601.1153052, which reported increasing numbers of cases of murine typhus each year over the past 6 years in Orange County, California. The city of Long Beach borders Orange County on its south east edge.

Long Beach is situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States; the Port of Long Beach is the United States' 2nd busiest container port and one of the world's largest shipping ports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Beach,_California). Downtown Long Beach is located about 25 miles (40 km) south of downtown Los Angeles, and the 2 border each other for several miles on Long Beach's south western portion. A map of California counties is available at http://geology.com/county-map/california.shtml and a HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of the state of California can be seen at http://healthmap.org/r/35Br. - Mod.ML]

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