Fleas and the diseases they spread are having a grand ole time in Los Angeles as of late. The area is currently dealing with cases of typhus.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported this week that it’s investigating a localized outbreak of the bacterial disease that left several people hospitalized. It’s the second major outbreak in LA seen this year, though cases are on the rise throughout the county. Residents are being advised to keep their pets flea-free and to avoid contact with wildlife that could potentially carry the bloodsucking insects.

“As flea-borne typhus cases continue to increase across Los Angeles County, preventing exposure to fleas on free roaming animals and wildlife is more important than ever,” said Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer, in a statement released by the department Tuesday.

There are several forms of typhus, each caused by a different bacterium and spread by a different primary vector. Flea-borne typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi. It’s also sometimes called murine typhus, since rodents are one of the bacteria’s main animal hosts, but cats, possums, and other small mammals can also carry it.

Though the disease is less severe than epidemic typhus and is treatable with antibiotics, it can be plenty miserable. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, and a distinctive rash, which tend to show up a week after exposure. People are typically infected by fleas pooping out the bacteria near their bite wounds, though we can also catch it from breathing infected flea dust or rubbing it into our eyes.

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