Rats in cities are not just a sanitary problem. They can carry deadly infections.

Rats are inconspicuous but very dangerous neighbors. Their presence can lead to serious diseases - from the historically known plague to modern infections such as leptospirosis or hantavirus. Some of them can end in death if not recognized and treated quickly.

Rats have been with humans for centuries, living close to our homes and using leftover food. Although they look harmless, they are actually carriers of many dangerous diseases. One of the most serious was the plague – the so-called "Black Death" – which killed tens of millions of people in Europe in the Middle Ages. The epidemic of 1348-1352 caused the deaths of about 50 million people, and in some places up to 80% of the population died.

As experts explain, fleas living on rats transferred the bacteria causing the plague from rodents to humans. At that time, Poland was spared to a greater extent than the West, which is attributed to the actions of Casimir the Great - he ordered the borders to be closed and introduced an internal quarantine. It is from this period that the term "quarantine" comes from - from the Italian "quarantena", meaning forty days of isolation.

Thanks to antibiotics and better hygiene, the plague is rare today, mainly in Asia and Africa, and the number of cases does not exceed several hundred per year. However, rats are still a threat - they can carry many other diseases that are difficult to recognize and dangerous to health.

Diseases carried by rats include: typhus, leptospirosis, histoplasmosis, tularemia, hantaviruses, rabies, typhoid fever, Lyme disease, and rat fever. Infection can occur through a bite, contact with rat urine, saliva, or feces, or through inhaling dust contaminated with their excretions.

• Typhus, caused by rickettsiae, presents with fever, headaches, muscle pain, and rash. There are also chills, nausea, cough, and sometimes impaired consciousness.
• Hantaviruses can cause severe kidney and lung disease. Initial symptoms resemble the flu, but some patients develop acute kidney dysfunction, glaucoma, or need dialysis.
• Rabies, transmitted through rat saliva, is almost always fatal unless vaccinated before symptoms appear.
• Tularemia can develop even after contact with dust containing a few bacterial cells. Symptoms include high fever, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes skin ulcers.
• Lyme disease is a disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi – rats may be carriers of infected ticks.
• Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection of the respiratory system. It is usually mild in healthy people, but can be serious in those with weakened immune systems.
• Rat fever is characterized by fever, joint pain, and rash, and in severe cases can lead to endocarditis, pneumonia, myocarditis, or encephalitis. Mortality rate is as high as 10%.
• Leptospirosis, or Weil's disease, is an infection caused by bacteria present in rat urine. It causes high fever, photophobia, muscle pain, and can lead to kidney and liver damage or meningitis.

These rodents thrive in urban conditions – sewage systems, basements, backyards and waste storage areas. Natural disasters, wars and organizational chaos are conducive to their reproduction. They are particularly attracted to easily accessible food scraps and water.

To reduce the risk of contact with these dangerous rodents, it is worth:

• store food in airtight containers,

• do not leave food or water lying around,

• keep the kitchen, garage, basement and yard clean,

• regularly clean and disinfect at-risk areas.

If you are bitten or suspect you have had contact with an infected rat, seek medical attention immediately.

Poisons and traps are used on a large scale, but some agents, such as aluminum or magnesium phosphide, are extremely dangerous - they release toxic phosphine (PH₃) when in contact with moisture. Their use requires caution and knowledge.