A 73-year-old Metairie Air Force veteran says he came terrifyingly close to dying after a bout with flea-borne typhus that landed him in the hospital for days, just as Louisiana health officials are warning about a rise in cases statewide.
State health authorities have documented 17 cases since the beginning of 2025 - all requiring hospitalization and including two deaths - according to a Louisiana Health Alert Network notice from the Louisiana Department of Health. The notice says most recent reports came from LDH Region 4, covering the Acadiana and Lafayette area, and warns the real number is likely higher because flea-borne typhus is not a reportable condition in Louisiana.
How Flea-Borne Typhus Hits And Why Speedy Treatment Counts
Symptoms typically begin 7 to 14 days after exposure. The most common complaints are fever and a severe headache, but patients can also experience muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cough, altered mental status and sometimes a rash. The CDC stresses that clinicians should start doxycycline based on clinical suspicion instead of waiting for laboratory confirmation, since prompt treatment cuts the risk of serious complications.
What Louisiana Health Officials Are Urging Doctors To Do
The LDH alert spells out testing and treatment guidance and recommends doxycycline as the first-line therapy. It cautions that early treatment should not be delayed while waiting for confirmatory testing. For adults the department lists doxycycline 100 mg twice daily and advises treating for at least three days after the fever subsides and until there is clear clinical improvement. The notice also explains serologic and PCR testing and how to report suspected cases to LDH’s Infectious Disease Epidemiology unit, including calling the on-call epidemiologist at 800-256-2748.
Metairie Veteran To Neighbors: Take Those Fleas Seriously
Jules Moore Jr., 73, told WWL-TV he was “very sick” and is worried for other elderly residents after what he described as a severe flea infestation at his home. Moore said he was hospitalized at a VA facility where doctors put him on doxycycline. Reflecting on how bad it got, he told reporters, “I could have died.”
How Homeowners And Pet Owners Can Protect Themselves
Public health guidance urges routine flea control for pets, avoiding contact with free-roaming animals, securing trash and removing rodent attractants, and sealing holes where rodents can enter homes. As reported by WAFB, the LDH alert also recommends contacting pest-control services or local animal-control and vector programs if infestations or clusters of illness are identified.
When To Call A Doctor
If you develop a persistent fever and headache after possible flea or animal exposure, tell your healthcare provider about that contact so they can consider empiric doxycycline. The CDC notes that delayed treatment can lead to severe illness and urges immediate care for breathing trouble, confusion or other alarming symptoms.
