Los Angeles typhus outbreak climbs past 100 cases

More than 100 people in the Los Angeles area have contracted typhus this year, according to NBC News.

Here are six things to know:

1. On Oct. 30, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 72 in its jurisdiction. Long Beach, Calif., also reported 15 cases, while Pasadena, Calif., confirmed 20, bringing the total number of typhus cases in the area to 107 in 2018.

2. Between 2000-09, the number of typhus cases did not surpass 20 per year in Los Angeles County, according to a county report cited by NBC News.

3. About 10 percent of the cases occurred in downtown Los Angeles where many of the infected individuals are homeless and living in unsanitary conditions. There has also been a 47 percent increase in homelessness in the area since 2012, which may have contributed to the typhus outbreak, according to the report.

4. Emily Holman, infectious disease coordinator for the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, told NBC via email that additional cases are still under investigation.

5. The California Department of Public Health said no deaths have occurred due to the typhus outbreak in 2018.

6. Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti dedicated an additional $300,000 to pick up trash, wash and clean the areas of Los Angeles with high rates of typhus.

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