Epidemic bells in New York: Mouse urine causes

The epidemic started in New York due to the mouse population getting out of control day by day. 6 cases of leptospirosis reported this year

According to New York Mayor Eric Adams, mouse urine is responsible for the increase in diseases with flu-like symptoms in the city. Declaring himself the “Mouse Chief” at the press conference held in Albany on Thursday, Adams stated that the fight against rodents continues.

The disease called leptospirosis is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that can be transmitted by touching the urine of infected animals or by touching water, soil and food that urine comes into contact with. Among animals, the disease affects dogs, cattle, pigs and horses.

If the disease is transmitted to humans, symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, conjunctival suffusion, jaundice and rash may be observed. If left untreated, the disease can cause kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress and even death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These cases have been encountered in previous years, but they have never reached this number. According to the New York City Department of Health, 24 cases have been reported in 2023 alone, while there have been 6 cases of leptospirosis so far this year. Authorities say there were at most three cases per year from 2001 to 2020.