Not The Onion @lemmy.world schizoidman @lemmy.ml 2 mo. ago

Life-threatening rat pee infections reach record levels in NYC

arstechnica.com Life-threatening rat pee infections reach record levels in NYC

Between 2001 and 2020, there was an average of 3 cases per year. Last year's tally was 24.

25 comments

That's worrying, albeit I will say that in a city as large as NY, even +21 infections don't sound significant. At least to me as an outside.
- Probably one errant rat pee salesman
How is rat pee coming into contact with open wounds or mucous membranes? Wtf.
- MTA workers, Dept of Sanitation workers, NYCHA workers... So many people who work for the city. All it takes is one hangnail or paper cut.
- The human to rat ratio in NYC is 8:3. It’s not just affecting the unhoused, but also people who work in rat infested areas. Probably sanitation, subway, plumbing, masonry repair, etc.
- I can post a video if you promise not to get upset about it.
  
  I promise
- I suspect it mostly infects homeless people.
  
  I wonder how many are the migrants bussed there from Texas.
  
  Edit: the article mentions that it is at least partly due to climate change as well.
- Are you serious? They walk on everything, same as housecats (litterbox > kitchen counter)
Only tangentially related to post, but if your never been to New York some of the majesty and magic that you see in all the movies is lost when you go. Specifically if you see in a film set in summer and someone walking by the entrance to any subway in the city? You need to imagine the hot stuffy air that smells like you just opened a sun-baked porto potty door blowing up from underground and assaulting your face as you pass
So, without reading the article, I'm assuming it's lethal to humans and not just an issue where we all need to tell the closest rat to have a glass of cranberry juice for their uti.
Sometimes NYC sounds like a 3rd world country.
NY introduces racketeering laws

Questions why there’s so many rats

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