Flea-borne typhus cases reportedly on the rise, Louisiana health officials say

BATON ROUGE, La. — State health officials are raising the alarm about a rare flea-caused illness they believe is on the rise. In a recent report, the Louisiana Department of Health said 17 people reportedly contracted flea-borne typhus within the last year and a half. All were hospitalized, and two of the patients ultimately died.

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Health officials noted that the actual number of flea-borne typhus cases in Louisiana is unknown because healthcare providers are not legally required to report them. They added that the majority of the cases were reported in the Acadiana-Lafayette area, a discrepancy they said could have been caused by a "reporting bias."

"While the increase in reporting of flea-borne typhus is likely due to a true increase in infections; the increase in case reporting may also be influenced by the increased availability of metagenomics sequencing tests, which test for a wide range of pathogens simultaneously, the LDH wrote in the release.

The LDH noted there were only 21 reported flea-borne typhus cases between 2010 and 2024. Officials are now asking doctors to consider the possibility of flea-borne typhus when treating patients with comparable symptoms.

Louisiana's recent uptick in flea-borne typhus reports comes as at least three other states are noticing a historic rise in cases. In Los Angeles County, health officials said 2025 marked the highest number of reported flea-borne typhus cases, with 220. At the end of last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said Hawai'i and Texas were seeing a rise in reported cases.

According to the LDH, patients typically contract flea-borne typhus after inhaling infected flea feces. The bacteria can also enter the body through scratched or broken skin exposed to contaminated flea droppings. In urban or suburban areas, household pets, rats, and opossums are often carriers of infected fleas.

Symptoms typically begin seven to 14 days after exposure. According to the LDH, symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, coughing, an altered mental state, and a rash. Health officials say severe cases typically involve pulmonary and neurological symptoms.

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