For thousands of years, rats have lurked around the dirty
corners of human society. New York City is overrun with the pests and a
Columbia University study cited on the Progressive Radio Network on Oct. 20
details why that is a big problem. Researchers from the Columbia University's
Mailman School of Public Health recently published a study of the pathogens
they found on or in 133 New York City rats. Not just any rats, but rats found
in residential buildings.
The Orkin Company places New York City fourth on its list of
top 20 rattiest cities in the United States in an Oct. 13 announcement. Animal
Planet shows New York at the top of its list of "Top 10 Worst Rat Cities in the World."
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| New York City Rats Carry Deadly Diseases. |
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The Norway rat came to the Americas with the Europeans. In
Europe, it was the carrier of the fleas that spread the Black Death, an
infection by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Because of their lifestyle, rats can
carry a wide variety of other diseases that can infect humans. The study,
titled "Detection of Zoonotic Pathogens and Characterization of Novel
Viruses Carried by Commensal Rattus norvegicus in New York City", found an
astonishing number of pathogens on the trapped rats, including 18 entirely new
viruses.
The study examined the rats' feces urine blood and tissues
for viral and bacterial pathogens. Progressive Radio notes that the scientists
did find 15 of 20 pathogens that they were looking for in the samples. They
also found some surprises.
Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, and Salmonella
enterica cause mild to acute gastrointestinal illnesses in humans. Bartonella
spp. bacteria can cause cat scratch fever and other illnesses with a fever.
Streptobacillus moniliformis and Leptospira interrogans also cause illnesses
with fever in humans. All of these were found in one or more of the rats
examined.
The Seoul hantavirus was also found for the first time in
New York City. This virus causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome,
according to the Centers for Disease Control. The illness can be fatal in up to
15 percent of patients. Eight rats carried the virus.
The study did not attempt to trace any diseases from rat to
human patient. There have been no cases of illness due to the Seoul hantavirus,
for example. More studies are needed to connect rats disease carriers to human
illness cases.
The study's authors
conclude:
“Our findings indicate that urban rats are reservoirs
for a vast diversity of microbes that may affect human health and indicate a
need for increased surveillance and awareness of the disease risks associated
with urban rodent infestation.”
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| How Rats Disease Spread. |
New York City offers a Rodent Academy for those who are interested in learning best practices in rat prevention. There is a half day course and a more in-depth three day course. The city does not currently charge to attend either course.
The good news from the study is that none of the 133 rats
carried the Black Death. The bad news is that the researchers found that New
York City rats were especially difficult to trap, wary and not easily fooled.
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