ABSTRACT
Flea-borne typhus (FBT), also referred to as murine typhus, is an acute febrile disease in humans caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi. Currently, cases of FBT are reported for public health surveillance purposes (i.e., to detect incidence and outbreaks) in a few U.S. states. In California, healthcare providers and testing laboratories are mandated to report to their respective local public health jurisdictions whenever R. typhi or antibodies reactive to R. typhi are detected in a patient, who then report cases to state health department. In this study, we characterize the epidemiology of flea-borne typhus cases in California from 2011 to 2019. A total of 881 cases were reported during this period, with most cases reported among residents of Los Angeles and Orange Counties (97%). Demographics, animal exposures, and clinical courses for case patients were summarized. Additionally, spatiotemporal cluster analyses pointed to five areas in southern California with persistent FBT transmission.
Subject(s)
Siphonaptera , Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne , Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne , Animals , Mice , Humans , Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne/diagnosis , Rickettsia typhi , California/epidemiology , Siphonaptera/microbiologyABSTRACT
In May 2014, a cluster of human Salmonella Poona infections was identified through PulseNet, the national molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance. Historically, this rare serotype has been identified in multiple Salmonella outbreaks associated with pet turtle exposure and has posed a particular risk to small children. Although the sale and distribution of small turtles (those with carapace [upper shell] lengths <4 inches [<10.2 cm]) is prohibited by federal law, they are still available for legal purchase online for "bona-fide" scientific, educational, or exhibition purposes, other than use as pets. In addition, small turtles are still available for illegal purchase through transient street vendors, at flea markets, and at fairs.
