LONG BEACH -- Eight people in Long Beach were recovering Saturday after being hospitalized with a rare form of typhus that's spread by fleas.
Of the eight people who contracted the disease, five were male.
Patients' ages ranged from less than 1 year old to 59 years old, said John Holquin, epidemiologist with the city's Department of Health.
The last four cases were diagnosed in September, and the remaining four were diagnosed in July and August.
Last year, two cases of flea-borne typhus were reported, but health department officials could not explain this year's increase.
"This is a rare disease," said city Health Officer Dr. Helene Calvet, describing murine typhus. "The vast majority of the population is not going to come in contact with this disease or come down with it."
The disease is treatable with antibiotics and most people recover.
Murine typhus is spread by fleas that have hosted on infected cats, opossums, raccoons, rats and other rodents. Common symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, body aches and and rash.
It can result in severe illness and hospitalization, but rarely causes death. it is not spread person-to-person.
While biting people, the fleas expel their feces, which contain the bacteria that causes the disease. The fleas' excrement enters the body through the bite wound or from a person scratching the bite area.
In 2007, nine cases were reported. Most flea-borne typhus cases occur in Southern California, south Texas and Hawaii, according to the health department Web site.
Health officials say keeping pets' flea problems is the best strategy for preventing the spread of the disease. Pets may be exposed to fleas that may have been carried by possums or rodents.
Of the eight people who contracted the disease, five were male.
Patients' ages ranged from less than 1 year old to 59 years old, said John Holquin, epidemiologist with the city's Department of Health.
The last four cases were diagnosed in September, and the remaining four were diagnosed in July and August.
Last year, two cases of flea-borne typhus were reported, but health department officials could not explain this year's increase.
"This is a rare disease," said city Health Officer Dr. Helene Calvet, describing murine typhus. "The vast majority of the population is not going to come in contact with this disease or come down with it."
The disease is treatable with antibiotics and most people recover.
Murine typhus is spread by fleas that have hosted on infected cats, opossums, raccoons, rats and other rodents. Common symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, body aches and and rash.
It can result in severe illness and hospitalization, but rarely causes death. it is not spread person-to-person.
While biting people, the fleas expel their feces, which contain the bacteria that causes the disease. The fleas' excrement enters the body through the bite wound or from a person scratching the bite area.
In 2007, nine cases were reported. Most flea-borne typhus cases occur in Southern California, south Texas and Hawaii, according to the health department Web site.
Health officials say keeping pets' flea problems is the best strategy for preventing the spread of the disease. Pets may be exposed to fleas that may have been carried by possums or rodents.
