Orange County's 2025 Flea-Borne Typhus Count Puts Year-Round Pet Flea Control Back in Focus
PLACENTIA, CA, November 2026. Orange County recorded 40 cases of flea-borne typhus in 2025, its highest yearly total in California Department of Public Health figures going back to 2017. The state's latest count, updated September 1, 2026, lists another 18 Orange County cases so far this year.
Mosquito Squad of North Orange County, a family-owned pest control company in Placentia, is encouraging local pet owners to follow the prevention steps published by the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District, which start with the family dog or cat.
What the State's Figures Show
The California Department of Public Health describes flea-borne typhus as endemic, meaning always present, in parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Its report counts confirmed, probable and suspect cases by each patient's county of residence. Orange County's yearly totals ranged from 11 to 29 between 2017 and 2024 before reaching 40 in 2025. Statewide, the report lists 328 cases in 2025, also the most in the years it covers.
How the Disease Reaches People
According to the state health department, fleas pick up the bacteria when they bite small animals such as rats, opossums and stray cats, and can then pass it on to other animals and to people. The vector control district's flea-borne typhus page says the disease is found mainly in fleas living on feral and domestic cats, dogs, opossums, rats, raccoons, skunks, squirrels and rabbits. It also notes that animals in Orange County can carry fleas in any month and may not show obvious symptoms, which is why it calls flea control on indoor and outdoor pets the best way to prevent exposure.
Prevention Starts With the Pet
Under the district's prevention steps, pet owners are advised to keep dogs and cats on flea control, asking a veterinarian which oral or topical product suits each animal, and to check pets and their bedding regularly. Flea dirt, the dark specks of flea feces in a pet's fur, may be the first sign of a problem.
Around the yard, the district recommends clearing heavy undergrowth and piled debris where wild animals can shelter, repairing buildings so rodents, opossums and stray cats cannot get in, and picking up fallen fruit. Pet food should not be left out overnight, and residents are asked not to feed wildlife or free-roaming animals. Anyone treating a yard or home themselves should use only products labeled "for flea control" and follow the directions carefully.
The district also asks residents not to trap and move opossums or feral cats on their own. Relocating them helps spread the disease and violates California Fish and Wildlife laws, so the first call should go to local animal control or the Humane Society.
"Flea-borne typhus is one of the reasons we take fleas seriously, and the best protection is a dog or cat on a regular flea program," said Kimberly Welch, owner of Mosquito Squad of North Orange County. "If fleas keep coming back even then, check the yard too, not just the house."
Homeowners who want help with fleas in the yard and home can call (657) 217-2679 or request a free quote through the company's North Orange County page, where flea treatment is part of the Complete Home & Yard Package.
About Mosquito Squad of North Orange County
Mosquito Squad of North Orange County is a family-owned and woman-owned pest control company in Placentia, California, owned by Kim and Dave Welch, long-time Placentia residents who opened the business in 2021. The company has served over 2,000 families and provides mosquito control, home and yard pest control, flea treatment and special event sprays across North Orange County, with rodent control available as an add-on. It uses EPA-registered products and backs every service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Each Mosquito Squad location is independently owned and operated.