LOUISIANA – Most of us worry about mosquitoes during Louisiana’s warmer months, but health officials are now warning residents about another tiny pest that could pose a serious health risk.
Louisiana is seeing a sharp increase in cases of flea-borne typhus, a rare bacterial illness that has hospitalized multiple people and has been linked to two deaths since the beginning of 2025. Health experts say the rise in cases is especially noticeable in the Lafayette and Acadiana area.
Louisiana Reports Major Increase In Flea-Borne Typhus Cases
According to the Louisiana Department of Health, 17 cases of flea-borne typhus have been identified since the start of 2025. Every patient required hospitalization, and two of those cases were fatal.
To put this into perspective, Louisiana recorded just 21 total cases between 2010 and 2024. That means the state has nearly matched 14 years’ worth of cases in a much shorter period of time…