Rats are a part of New York City – if you’ve ever been, you’ve definitely seen them. Most of the time, they’re just pests on the streets or subway that we can ignore, but now they might be harboring something dangerous: leptospirosis. According to an article posted in IFL Science, at least fifteen people have contracted this rare bacterial disease this year.

About Leptospirosis

According to the CDC, leptospirosis is a rare infection caused by a bacteria in the genus Leptospira. It is spread through the urine of animals, such as cattle, wild animals, horses, pigs, dogs, and in New York City’s case, rodents. Humans contract the bacteria when they come into contact with infected urine or water, food, or soil that has been in contact with the urine of an infected animal. If a human contracts leptospirosis, they can show a wide variety of symptoms. Others will show no symptoms at all. Possible effects include:

• Red eyes
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Jaundice
• Muscle aches
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Rash

These symptoms can appear anywhere from two days to four weeks following exposure, and they can last for up to three weeks. Leptospirosis can also lead to complications, making it absolutely necessary to seek treatment. These complications include respiratory distress, liver failure, kidney damage, meningitis, and death. In order to avoid these complications, one should seek medical attention and be treated with antibiotics as early as possible.

Leptospirosis in NYC

Leptospirosis is a very rare infection. In fact, only 57 cases were recorded in NYC between the years 2006 and 2020. Now, there have been fifteen cases already this year, making it a very sudden and unusual spike.

Thirteen of these fifteen have been hospitalized and another has passed away. Acute liver and kidney failure landed most of these people in the hospital, while two also reported respiratory distress and lung issues. Upon looking into these cases, public health officials found that most patients had been exposed to areas with rat infestations. Another case was the result of travel.

While health officials have stated that they are addressing any infestations, they have also given some advice on how to avoid contracting the rare bacterial disease.

• Avoid rats and any area where they may have urinated
• If you must physically touch an area like this, wear cleaning gloves and wash your hands afterward
• Report any rat infestations to 311 if you’re a New Yorker

The CDC also lists some other preventative measures, which include avoiding water – whether swimming or drinking – that could have animal urine in it. If you are exposed to any area that’s possibly infected for work or for leisure, make sure to wear protective clothing and footwear.