Rotting Trash Piles Sky-High in LA, Attracting Rats and Raising Concerns of a New Epidemic
After reporting LA's most notorious trash pile to the city's 311 services hotline, the I-Team was told it could take up to 90 days before it's cleaned up. An expert says there's no time to waste
By Joel Grover and Amy Corral
Published May 20, 2019 at 10:37 PM | Updated at 9:27 AM PDT on May 21, 2019
Last year, a record 124 typhus cases were reported in Los Angeles County
The city's most notorious trash pile in downtown LA was cleaned up, but that didn't last
Other large U.S. cities, like New York and Washington DC, have teams devoted to aggressive rat control
Rat-infested piles of rotting garbage left uncollected by the city of Los Angeles, even after promises to clean it up, are fueling concerns about a new epidemic after last year's record number of flea-borne typhus cases.
Even the city's most notorious trash pile, located between downtown LA's busy Fashion and Produce districts, continues to be a magnet for rats after it was cleaned up months ago. The rodents can carry typhus-infected fleas, which can spread the disease to humans through bacteria rubbed into the eyes or cuts and scrapes on the skin, resulting in severe flu-like symptoms.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/Rats-Fleas-Los-Angeles-Garbage-Trash-Piles-Health-Mayor-Eric-Garcetti-510171121.html
