New York City issues health alert over rise of rat-borne diseases that have killed six people

New York City has issued a health warning due to the rise of rat-borne diseases.

Cases of leptospirosis among humans rose to an all-time high in 2023, which is spread through contact with rat urine or feces.

In 2023, 24 cases were reported in the city, which is eight times higher than the total number of cases in the previous twenty years.

So far in 2024, there have been six cases.

“Rodents are not only ugly and can traumatize your day, but they are also a real health crisis,” said Mayor Eric Adams.

Between 2001 and 2020, there were only three cases of human leptospirosis per year in New York City. This will increase eightfold by 2023. There have been six cases so far in 2024

When animals such as rats are infected with leptospirosis, they may not have any symptoms of the disease.

But they can continue to shed the bacteria into the environment continuously or occasionally for a few months to several years.

People can become infected through contact with urine from infected animals.

The health alert, sent to colleagues by the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Disease Control, said: ‘Twenty-four people diagnosed with leptospirosis were reported in 2023. This exceeds the total number of cases… in any previous year.

‘For comparison, the average number of locally acquired cases from 2021 to 2023 was 15 per year, and three cases per year from 2001 to 2020. This year, six cases have been reported as of April 10, 2024.’

Of the 98 locally acquired cases reported between 2001 and 2023, the median patient age was 50 years. About 94 percent of the cases were male and most were from the Bronx.

Leptospirosis infections are uncommon in the US, with only about 100 to 150 diagnoses per year – up to 15 percent of which are fatal.

According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, six people died from leptospirosis in New York City between 2001 and 2023.

New Yorkers are told to watch for symptoms such as high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes) and red eyes. Abdominal pain, diarrhea and rash may also occur.

Officials are concerned because the infection often comes from handling garbage bags or bins of food waste that a rat or other infected animal may have urinated on.

If left untreated, leptospirosis can lead to kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage and respiratory distress.

Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom said: ‘In terms of awareness, I understand if we wear gloves – supers, or people who tend to handle large amounts of plastic bags.’

Mayor Adams tries to collect garbage bags from the streets and place the waste in containers.

Mayor Adams said, “If you opened your closet and a rat came out, you would never open that closet the same way again.” If you went to a toilet and a rat crawled into your toilet, you would never feel comfortable in that toilet again.”