LA's Typhus Crisis: When Rats Outpace the City

LA is facing a dramatic surge in flea-borne typhus spread by rats and their fleas, driven by a growing urban rat population, garbage-filled streets, and a homelessness crisis. With cases rising from single digits in the early 2000s to record highs (about 220 cases in 2025 and 187 in 2024) and hospitalizations making up a large share of patients, public-health officials say they’re overwhelmed and underfunded. Tightened state rules on anticoagulant rodenticides and reduced pest-control tools compound the problem. The article argues for more resources and policy changes to finally curb the medieval disease threatening Angelenos.