Californian Dies from Rare Disease After 'Trapping, Feeding and Breeding Wild Rats' in an RV
Yahoo News Canada • • general
Key Points:
- A California resident died from leptospirosis after living in an RV severely infested with wild rats, which also infected their living partner who later recovered.
- Leptospirosis is a rare bacterial disease spread through contact with infected animals' urine or body fluids, posing higher risk to those in close contact with rats or animal urine, such as people experiencing homelessness.
- Berkeley city manager Paul Buddenhagen emphasized that the risk to public health is very low, as person-to-person transmission is extremely uncommon and no other cases have been reported at the nearby Harrison Street encampment.
- Alameda County Vector Control took extensive measures to trap and eliminate rats around the RV, which was ultimately sealed, cleared of rats, and destroyed to prevent further infections.
- Buddenhagen proposed increasing awareness and research on the city's rat population to help prevent future leptospirosis infections.