Things are going to get worse and worse before they get better - from the Los Angeles Times:
L.A. typhus outbreak adds fuel to the debates over homelessness and housing
A man hospitalized for dehydration a few months ago at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center started suffering a severe fever, and doctors weren’t sure why.
The patient was homeless, a clue to doctors that he might have typhus. Every year people contract flea-borne typhus in Southern California, mostly in Los Angeles County. Doctors did a blood test.
“We sent it off, and lo and behold — typhus,” County-USC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brad Spellberg said.
Since July, there have been nine cases of typhus in downtown Los Angeles, six of which infected homeless people, prompting health officials last week to declare an outbreak there. There have also been 20 cases in Pasadena this year, far more than the five typically seen there annually.
Typhus outbreaks are often associated with poor hygiene and overcrowding. Los Angeles officials say they’re corralling stray animals that could carry fleas, cleaning streets and encouraging people to treat their pets for fleas and put away trash that may attract infected animals.
California has set themselves up as a mecca for homeless people - problem is that they lack the backbone to call it a mental health issue (or sometimes a motivation issue) and treat it as such. They are offering a lot of palliative care at great expense but not addressing the root issue.
Typically, the problem will grow and grow until you have a serious public health issue. The good citizens are being ruled by a cultural elite that maintains themselves out of touch with the reality on the street.
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