Leptospirosis bacteria found in rat urine has killed one person in the Bronx section of New York City and infected two others there, prompting an investigation and an emergency meeting to inform residents of the danger.
Leptospirosis, a relatively rare disease, is “a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can lead to kidney or liver failure or meningitis.
According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the three known victims suffered from acute kidney and liver failure, said The New York Times.
Officials said they planned to hold an emergency meeting Wednesday night to inform the New York community about leptospirosis and just how deadly it can be, said NBC 4 News.
The best way to prevent falling victim to leptospirosis is to avoid coming in contact with rats and places where rats likely urinate, officials said, and people are being encouraged to keep their hands cleaned.
Despite those precautions, residents said staying away from areas where rats live is out of their control, considering the huge populations of rats in the city.
“The thing is we have a lot of rats, not just in the building, the train is full of them,” said one resident, per NBC 4.
“I can’t go outside with my dog, because he has to go over rats. This is in the basement, this is on my floor, the whole building,” said another resident.
“They run from underneath your stove, your refrigerator, my apartment is very clean, but it just doesn’t matter. There’s just holes where they find their way in,” said another, per CBS News. “Everything I wash, I have to use bleach because they run around rampantly like they’re part of your house.”
Between 2006 and 2016, there were a total of 26 cases of leptospirosis in New York City, with eight of those cases in the Bronx, noted the New York Times.