New York City Health Officials Issue Warning About Increase in Bacterial Illness Spread by Rat Urine
New York City health officials have issued a warning about the increase in transmitted bacterial illness spread by rat urine after 24 cases were reported in 2023, the most for any year. The New York City Department of Health stated that only six cases of leptospirosis have been reported in the city so far this year, but numbers are trending upward.
Leptospirosis is a disease that can cause fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, conjunctival suffusion, jaundice, and rash. If not treated, kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage, and respiratory distress can occur. The disease is largely associated with exposure to materials contaminated with rat urine from the Norway rat.
The Bronx had the most cases with 37, while Manhattan had 28. Person-to-person transmission is rare, according to officials. The Leptospira bacteria can die within minutes in dry heat and freezing cold, but excessive rain and unseasonably warm temperatures, factors associated with climate change, may support the persistence of leptospires in more temperate areas like NYC.
The number of cases raised alarms because only three per year were reported from 2001 to 2020. Some 3 million rats call New York City home, according to a study by a pest company. In December, Mayor Eric Adams said rat infestation was partly responsible for many New Yorkers leaving the city.
The increase in cases of leptospirosis has prompted the city to take action to address the rat infestation issue. Mayor Adams stated that efforts are being made to get rid of the rats in the city.
Overall, the warning from health officials serves as a reminder for New Yorkers to be cautious and take necessary precautions to avoid exposure to rat urine and prevent the spread of bacterial illnesses.
