When fleas bite infected animals such as rats, cats or opossums, fleas remain infected for life. The bite of an infected flea on a person breaks the skin and causes a wound. Fleas poop when they feed.

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred The number of typhus infections from fleas has ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Los Angeles County health officials are warning residents to take precautions after reporting a record number of flea-borne typhus ...

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Julie Sharp is a digital producer at CBS Los Angeles. She is a South Bay native and majored in print journalism at Cal State University Long Beach. Julie previously reported for the Beach Reporter, ...

Pet owners are being urged to protect themselves and their pets after Los Angeles experienced a record number of cases of the bacterial illness Joyann Jeffrey is a reporter at People. Her work has ...