"Rising Concern: Rat Urine-Linked Infections Surge in NYC"

The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued a health advisory due to an increase in human leptospirosis cases linked to exposure to rat urine in the city, with 24 cases reported in 2023 and six cases in the first quarter of 2024. Symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle aches, and severe cases can lead to renal and hepatic failure. The majority of cases have been reported in the Bronx, followed by Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Health officials attribute the rise in cases to factors such as excessive rain and unseasonably warm temperatures, and urge reporting of cases to facilitate remediation efforts.