New York City experienced a significant surge in cases of human leptospirosis, a disease transmitted through rat urine that can lead to kidney damage, liver failure, and even death. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued an advisory on April 12, 2024, cautioning about the escalating number of human leptospirosis cases. In 2023, a total of 24 cases were reported in New York City, marking the highest number in a single year on record. Additionally, six cases have already been reported in 2024, double the average annual cases reported between 2001 and 2020.
While human leptospirosis infections can be attributed to contaminated soil and water during natural disasters like floods and hurricanes, in New York City, the primary cause is rat urine. The disease is zoonotic and caused by various bacteria species, with the Norway rat being prominently associated with leptospirosis in New York.
The advisory warns that infected animals excrete bacteria in their urine, which can survive in warm, moist environments for extended periods. Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected urine or urine-contaminated water, soil, or food, entering the body through open wounds or mucous membranes.
Between 2021 and 2023, the average number of locally acquired leptospirosis cases in New York City was 15 per year, a stark increase from the average of 3 cases per year between 2001 and 2020. Furthermore, there have been six deaths related to the disease in New York between 2001 and 2023, with cases of acute renal and hepatic failure, and occasionally severe pulmonary distress.
The rise in infections has prompted the city’s health department to suggest that excessive rain and unseasonably warm temperatures may be contributing factors. This concerning trend led to the appointment of Kathleen Corradi as the city’s first-ever citywide director of rodent mitigation, dubbed the “rat czar” by Mayor Eric Adams in April 2023.
Mayor Adams emphasized the city’s ongoing efforts to combat the rat population, including a $3.5 million investment in an accelerated rat reduction plan and the enactment of legislation to address rat infestations. Despite these measures, New York City continues to face challenges due to its significant rat population, estimated to be around 3 million.
Efforts are underway to sterilize rats by feeding them birth control pellets as an alternative to traditional poisoning methods. Council Member Shaun Abreu introduced a bill advocating for this approach, highlighting the urgent need to address the rat crisis without resorting to lethal measures.
Mayor Adams stressed the financial burden imposed by the city’s rat infestation problem on residents and local businesses, underscoring the severity of the situation and the necessity for innovative solutions to mitigate the rat population.
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