SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A disease many people may think of as a thing of the past is making a comeback in parts of Southern California.
Health officials say cases of flea-borne typhus are rising in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, with Los Angeles County reporting a record 220 cases last year, up from 187 the year before. While the numbers are increasing to the north, San Diego County has seen relatively few cases in recent years, and none reported in 2025 or so far in 2026.
Flea-borne typhus is a bacterial illness spread by infected fleas, often carried by animals like rats, opossums, and stray cats…