The number of rats in New York City is increasing and they are causing more problems than just being a nuisance. The New York City Department of Health has issued a health warning because they have found six cases of human leptospirosis, which is a bacterial infection that spreads through rat urine. In 2023, the city had 24 cases, which was the highest number in a single year.
Leptospirosis usually causes symptoms similar to the flu, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and chills. Some other common symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach, throwing up, having loose bowel movements, and having yellowing of the skin and eyes. If leptospirosis is not treated quickly, it can lead to more serious problems like kidney failure, liver damage, and difficulty breathing.
The bacteria found in rat urine that causes infection can survive in warm and damp conditions for several weeks. People can get infected if they touch urine or come into contact with water, soil, or food that has been contaminated with urine. Bacteria can get inside your body through cuts, open wounds, your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Some cases in New York City involved garbage collectors who were handling trash bags that had food waste in them. Drinking or swimming in water that is contaminated can also lead to infection. But it is uncommon for the virus to spread from person to person.
“Rats can be found in urban areas throughout the country and carry the same risk of leptospirosis, even though the rat problems in many cities don’t get as much attention as in NYC,” explained Brian Labus, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Leptospirosis is most common in tropical climates. The bacteria may have been able to survive longer in New York City due to the combination of heavy rain and higher temperatures.
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How is Leptospirosis Diagnosed And Treated?
According to Labus, diagnosing leptospirosis can be difficult because its symptoms are not specific and specialized laboratory tests are required. You can get PCR tests on blood and urine from commercial labs. The bacteria can be found in the blood within the first seven days of getting sick, and in the urine starting from day seven and onwards.
Leptospirosis can be treated with common antibiotics like doxycycline or amoxicillin. According to Labus, in serious situations, antibiotics may need to be given through a vein.
Avoid to Get Leptospirosis
To prevent leptospirosis, you should try to avoid places that may be contaminated and make sure to keep yourself clean. “According to Labus, people usually try to avoid rats, but they may not consider avoiding places where rats have previously been,” Labus said.
“If you are cleaning places where rats might have been, such as around your garbage cans, you should wear gloves and use a solution of 10% bleach to kill the bacteria on surfaces that might be contaminated with rat urine,” he said. “Just by wearing shoes when you take out the trash, you can lower your exposure to harmful things.”
Furthermore, keeping our living and working areas clean, practicing good sanitation, and taking steps to control rodents can help prevent the disease from spreading in our communities.
New York City has chosen someone called a “rat czar” to manage the city’s programs for controlling rodents. These efforts involve using birth control for rats, filling rat burrows with carbon monoxide, and mandating that all businesses use trash cans with lids.
“According to Labus, there are various ways to control rodents. By using a comprehensive approach, we can greatly reduce the number of rodents and, as a result, decrease the spread of diseases like leptospirosis.”
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