1 Dead In Bronx Outbreak Of Rare Rat-Related Infection

BRONX, NY — Three cases, one fatal, of a rare bacterial infection caused by contact with rat urine were reported on a single block in the Bronx, a city Department of Health spokeswoman confirmed with Patch.

The Health Department will investigate what it calls a "cluster" of leptospirosis cases that broke out on one block in the Bronx's Grand Concourse neighborhood. Two of the cases were recorded in December and one in February, according to a department spokeswoman.

One of the people who contracted leptospirosis died and the other two have recovered, the department of health spokeswoman told Patch. All three cases were caused by contact with rat urine, according to a department statement.

"The Health Department has identified a cluster of three cases of leptospirosis on one block in the Concourse area of the Bronx. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that is most commonly spread by contact with rat urine and is very rarely spread from person to person," according to a department of health statement.

The disease is extremely rare and New York City generally sees just one to three cases per year, a department of health spokeswoman told Patch. The disease is rarely passed from human to human and can be treated with "readily available antibiotics," according to the department of health.

The city will combat the rare outbreak by reducing the area's rat population and educating area residents on how to avoid contracting leptospirosis, according to a department of health statement.

Here are the city department of health's precautions to avoid contracting the disease:

• Avoid contact with rats or with places where rats may have urinated.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after any contact with areas where rats may live.
• If you cannot avoid areas where rats have been seen, or are cleaning areas where rats have been, use a solution of one part household bleach and 10 parts water to kill the leptospirosis bacteria.
• Protect yourself from contact with their urine: wear rubber gloves (especially if you have any cuts or sores on your hands or arms), boots, masks and some type of eyewear.

Photo by Ludovic Bertron via Flickr/Creative Commons