Community Corner

Typhus Reported in the South Bay

Rancho Palos Verdes officials warn pet lovers to stay away from feral cats.

Pet lovers in the South Bay were urged Thursday to restrain their hospitable impulses and refrain from feeding or interacting with feral cats following a reported case of typhus in Manhattan Beach, according to an alert from Rancho Palos Verdes city staff.

On Dec. 12, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health contacted residents in the neighborhood around Polliwog Park about a single case of endemic typhus fever, according to Manhattan Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Martin.

"We are currently working in partnership with the Department of Public Health to assure our community and provide as much information as possible," Martin said. "It is important to know that there is no confirmation regarding how our resident contracted endemic typhus fever."

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Further details on the case were not disclosed to the public, RPV city staff said.

The county Health Department warned residents that the best way to prevent the spread of the disease was to keep their pets isolated from feral cats and their fleas, widely known as typhus carriers.

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Madeline Bernstein, president of spcaLA, said pets should be kept indoors, with up-to-date flea prevention and vaccination, and that they should also be spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted socializing with their feral counterparts.

Bernstein said homeowners should also screen potential building access holes, eliminate food sources and secure external trash storage.

—City News Service, with additional reporting by editor Nicole Mooradian.


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