Burmese Pythons aiding rat takeover in Florida's Everglades, increasing disease spread.

Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades have wiped out native populations of larger mammals, leaving an opening for cotton rats to dominate the ecosystem. The rise in rodents could further disrupt the already fragile ecosystem and increase the risk of disease to humans. Cotton rats are reservoirs for viruses that can pass to humans, including the Everglades virus (EVEV) and hantaviruses. Diseases carried by the rats can then be passed through mosquito bites to humans.