Fleas can live year-round in Galveston but May is the beginning of high hatch season. UTMB’s Lucas Blanton says it is important to use commercial flea products to prevent Murine typhus, a bacterial disease with flu like symptoms, which is transmitted by flea bites. “You’re protecting your pet, but you’re also protecting yourself and your family,” Blanton told the Daily News. [Note: Paid subscription required. Contact UTMB Media Relations for details.]