According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, an increase in flu-like illnesses in the city is being caused by rat urine.
Leptospirosis is a potentially deadly bacterial infection that can be transmitted through contact with the urine of infected animals or urine-contaminated water, soil, and food.
Among the animals susceptible to this disease are dogs, cattle, pigs, and horses. If transmitted to humans, symptoms can include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, conjunctival suffusion, jaundice, and rash.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if left untreated, the disease can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. Due to the constantly present rat population in New York City over the years, cases of this disease have been consistently reported.
However, according to the New York City Health Department, the number of cases diagnosed in recent times has increased; 24 cases were reported in 2023 alone, the highest annual number. So far this year, 6 cases of leptospirosis have been reported.
For comparison, from 2001 to 2020, only three cases were reported annually in the city. Officials attribute part of the increase to city residents leaving plastic garbage bags on the streets.
During a press conference held in Albany on Thursday, Adams said, “This is a real problem.”
“We have too many plastic bags on our streets,” Adams said in response to a question about the issue.
Adams appointed Kathleen Corradi as the city’s first “Rat Chief” and said the decision had put his team one step ahead in the fight against rodents. He stated that ongoing efforts such as using garbage cans instead of bags had “pushed rats out of the city.”
“People need to make the connection. Plastic bags mean rodents. If we remove plastic bags from our streets, we take a big step towards reducing rats,” Adams said.
Also speaking at the same press conference, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said New Yorkers throw away 19 million kilograms of garbage every day. She stressed that everyone working in waste collection, such as building superintendents, should wear gloves to avoid contracting the disease.
Adams’ office invested $3.5 million to launch the Harlem Rat Reduction Zone initiative aimed at reducing the number of rats seen in the neighborhood. Officials noted a 20% decrease in non-emergency rat calls since the start of the efforts.
