Posted on 05/29/2012 1:53:58 PM PDT by BenLurkin
SANTA ANA (CBS) — Vector control officials plan to try Tuesday to corral feral cats living on the campuses of two Santa Ana schools in an effort to reduce the flea population and stave off the spread of typhus, a potentially deadly disease.
Santa Ana officials announced last week that someone living near Broadway and Washington Avenue in Santa Ana was hospitalized with typhus last month but has since recovered. City spokesman Jose Gonzalez underscored this morning that the victim had no connection with any local schools.
Orange County Vector Control officials have been passing out literature to residents in the area on avoiding getting the disease, which primarily is transmitted by fleas, Gonzalez said.
“The issue here is the person lives in close proximity to two schools and because there are feral cats on the school grounds,” Gonzalez said.
Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said vector control officials will lay traps today at Frances E. Willard Intermediate School in the 1300 block of North Ross Street and El Sol Science and Arts Academy in the 1000 block of North Broadway.
He said the workers would be wearing hazard suits with masks and that residents should not be alarmed.
Vector control officials have set multiple traps in the area and have caught possums, but none of the feral cats known to be in the area, Gonzalez said. If caught, the feral cats will be sedated and euthanized.
City officials advised residents to treat their pets with flea-prevention medication and eliminate places where wild animals can find shelter and food.
Symptoms usually surface a week or two weeks after exposure and can include high fever, headaches, chills, body aches and pains and a rash. Typhus is treated with antibiotics. It can be fatal if left untreated.
Well, it’s my GUESS that the feral birds actually EAT the birds they kill. I also think that birds will figure out predators...or not. It’s part of nature, doncha think?
The rats carry the fleas OR lice. The fleas or lice carry the bacteria/virus that kills.
California had a mini outbreak of the plague WAY back when the Chinese first came to the "golden mountain" to work on the railroads and in the mines. There were a few, very few rodents who got infected. Luckily they were destroyed.
Even the rough and ready California miners weren't as FILTHY as the mainstream Chinese in China, so the plague didn't spread.
The plague was a product of unremitting FILTH which was part and parcel of the Chinese culture. Still is, as far as I could see (and smell). I don't CARE what their government says...one can smell the stench of sewage in their rivers.
...and it’s the illegals that bring the typhus from Mexico, then spread it to the fleas. Santa Ana has one of the highest illegal alien populations in the country. I think it’s over 75% illegals.. Something tells me there’s no coincidence here.
This was the problem in the 17th century in the plaque of London when everyone was going after the cats and dogs and not the rat population.
Here you are FRiend. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/29/officials-try-to-round-up-feral-cats-reduce-flea-population-to-stave-off-oc-typhus-threat/
This report is too vague. What type of types is it? If it is Murine then the fleas originated on rats and they ought to be focusing on getting rid of the rats. If it is epidemic typhus then it originated with lice and they ought to be rounding up the humans in the area. Either way ‘vector control’ is not doing what would alleviate the situation. No big surprise though since when AIDS was first rampant they wouldn’t close the bath houses either
Feral cats should be controlled - trapped, neutered and released (some cannot again make a happy life as a “house cat”), even in normal circumstances. At least when neutered, those who are neutered do not extend the feral cat population.
They are an outcome of residents who have failed to control their own “house cats” - in other words, an outcome of pet-handling by people who have no business having domestic pets in the first place.
Is there a human vaccine for typhus?
Thank you kindly.
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