Hurricane Sandy Could Spread NYC Rats and Infectious Diseases
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Posted on October 30, 2012 with 3 Comments
With Sandy flooding the New York City subway system, a natural question to ask is “Where will the rats go?” The New York City subway system is notorious for its growing rat population, and the severe flooding produced by Hurricane Sandy likely will displace rodents.
All seven subway tunnels running under the East River from Manhattan to Queens and Brooklyn took in water, and any resulting saltwater damage to the system’s electrical components will have to be cleaned — in some cases off-site — before the system can be restored, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transit Authority said on Tuesday. The rising water will force rats out of their underground lairs and into contact with humans, according to Rick Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Milbrook, New York, speaking to The Huffington Post.
He says rats are expert survivors and will escape the floods and head for safer ground, such as apartments and other buildings inhabited by humans.
He said: ‘Rats are incredibly good swimmers and they can climb.’
According to Ostfeld, this could result a rise in infectious diseases carried by urban rats, including leptospirosis, hantavirus, typhus, salmonella, and even the plague.
Tags: hurricane sandy new york, infectious disease, new york city rats
Category: New York City Pest Control, Rodent
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