Typhus reaches 'epidemic levels' in parts of Los Angeles area

Started by pr126, October 17, 2018, 01:27:18 PM

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pr126

Typhus reaches 'epidemic levels' in parts of Los Angeles area
QuoteLOS ANGELES â€" Health officials on Friday reported a typhus outbreak in Los Angeles County and say it has reached "epidemic levels" in the city of Pasadena.

Twenty cases have been reported in Pasadena, mostly in the last two months, health officials told NBC News, noting that a normal year would typically only see five infections. The city of Long Beach, California, has 12 cases so far in 2018 â€" double the normal annual number, said Emily Holman, the city's infectious disease response coordinator.

The number of cases in the rest of the county since July is nine, which counts as an "outbreak," Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials said in a statement. Pasadena and Long Beach have their own health departments even though they exist within the county.

“The Pasadena Public Health Department is reporting epidemic levels of typhus fever this year," read a statement from that city on Friday.

The official source of the outbreak is said to be fleas from domestic and wild animals.

"Infection happens when the feces from infected fleas are rubbed into cuts or scrapes in the skin or rubbed into the eyes," the county health department states on its website.

Some experts, however, say the true culprit is the inhumane conditions the county's expanding homeless population lives in.

"All of the cases have a history of living or working in the downtown Los Angeles area," a county health spokeswoman said via email.

Andy Bales, the CEO of the Union Rescue Mission, which has nearly 1,400 beds for those fleeing or avoiding downtown's Dickensian streets, said, "The conditions on Skid Row are ripe for even more serious issues than this."

In 2014, Bales had a leg amputated after he was exposed to flesh-eating bacteria downtown.

The office of Mayor Eric Garcetti said it is on the case.

"We're deploying every available resource to help control and stop this outbreak," mayoral spokesman Alex Comisar said via email. "The City and County have formed a dedicated task force through our Unified Homelessness Response Center to keep Angelenos safe, and ensure everyone gets the treatment they need as quickly as possible."

Image: Dog flea {Ctenocephalides canis} UKA dog flea.Kim Taylor / Nature Picture Library/Getty Images
Typhus or typhus fever is a flea-borne infectious disease that can cause high fever, headache, chills, and body aches, rashes and in rare cases, meningitis and death. (It is not the same as typhoid fever, which is caused by a different kind of bacteria and is usually spread by consuming contaminated food and water.)

Health officials in Pasadena are blaming the outbreak on a warm summer and fall and human interaction with animals in neighborhoods that have an "interface" with wildlife in canyons and the Angeles National Forest. They say the disease has nothing to do with homelessness in their high-income city.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health spokeswoman said via email that officials are investigating the source of the typhus in downtown L.A. by searching specifically for "high concentrations of infected fleas and/or infected rats, feral cats and opossums."

Bales noted, "There are lots of rats on Skid Row, and there are lots of dogs that belong to homeless people."

In September the nonprofit research organization Economic Roundtable released an analysis that concluded the county has 102,955 homeless people â€" nearly double what government officials had previously reported.

"The numbers on the sidewalk have increased dramatically," said Alice Callaghan, founder of the Skid Row services organization Las Familias del Pueblo. "They're like refugee camps."

GSOgymrat

QuoteHealth officials on Friday reported a typhus outbreak in Los Angeles County and say it has reached "epidemic levels" in the city of Pasadena.

We have tickets to see "The Woman in Black" at the Pasadena Playhouse in two weeks. Dinner, a play and a dose of doxycycline?


drunkenshoe

QuoteSome experts, however, say the true culprit is the inhumane conditions the county's expanding homeless population lives in.

Last time I have visited the States, (2017 May) people were talking about the rise in the homeless population and there was a lot of talk about Los Angeles. I think I even wrote about it here. I honestly thought it was bad but probably exaggerated.

We had an anthrax crisis not too long ago. Bad cattle from Brazil.     
"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp

GSOgymrat

Quote from: drunkenshoe on October 17, 2018, 03:17:35 PM
Last time I have visited the States, (2017 May) people were talking about the rise in the homeless population and there was a lot of talk about Los Angeles. I think I even wrote about it here. I honestly thought it was bad but probably exaggerated.

We had an anthrax crisis not too long ago. Bad cattle from Brazil.     

I go to Los Angeles every couple of months because my best friend lives there. New York City has more homeless people but Los Angeles has significantly more unsheltered homeless. In the numbers below, New York has 3,936 unsheltered people, Los Angeles has 41,216. The population of New York City (8,622,698) is over twice that of the city of Los Angeles (3,999,742).


drunkenshoe

That explains it. I haven't visited Los Angeles, but have seen of NYC a tiny bit. I have seen homeless people in parks, but it is a very big city and you don't feel it. I haven't seen a lot in Portland (OR) though and 4 years ago I don't remember seeing any at all.

It's a bad situation for everyone. :/
"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp

GrinningYMIR

"Human history is a litany of blood shed over differing ideals of rulership and afterlife"<br /><br />Governor of the 32nd Province of the New Lunar Republic. Luna Nobis Custodit

Baruch

This is the result of anti-humanism.  Humanism can be theist or secular ... and so can anti-humanism.  I expect cholera and plague to break out next.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

drunkenshoe

I was thinking it is interesting that San Fransisco is at the bottom part of the list, because it is a big city. Apparently, they started to spend big money on it and it got better. Looks pretty complicated though.   

https://projects.sfchronicle.com/sf-homeless/2018-state-of-homelessness/
"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp

Baruch

Quote from: drunkenshoe on October 18, 2018, 02:26:02 AM
I was thinking it is interesting that San Fransisco is at the bottom part of the list, because it is a big city. Apparently, they started to spend big money on it and it got better. Looks pretty complicated though.   

https://projects.sfchronicle.com/sf-homeless/2018-state-of-homelessness/

But is the reason to assist the homeless ... public health, tourist defense or humanitarian?
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Jason78

Quote from: GSOgymrat on October 17, 2018, 03:39:48 PM
I go to Los Angeles every couple of months because my best friend lives there. New York City has more homeless people but Los Angeles has significantly more unsheltered homeless. In the numbers below, New York has 3,936 unsheltered people, Los Angeles has 41,216. The population of New York City (8,622,698) is over twice that of the city of Los Angeles (3,999,742).

That's amazing.   You have homeless populations bigger than some towns in the UK.
Winner of WitchSabrinas Best Advice Award 2012


We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real
tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -Plato

drunkenshoe

Quote from: Baruch on October 18, 2018, 02:31:04 AM
But is the reason to assist the homeless ... public health, tourist defense or humanitarian?

A professional solution is much better and solid in my opinion, because you need money to make this real. There has to be a motivation of this sort. Other way of thinking, 'let's do this for the humanitarian reasons' is too naive and pink to be real to me. And almost always a lie, never a real solution. There is always a catch. Here the catch is very reasonable. Protecting everyone's health to begin with. And apparently, San Fransisco is making over 9 billion dollars from tourism with over 16 million people every year. Why wouldn't they try to protect that?



"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp