Aggressive rats have left more than 100 residents needing hospital treatment in Glasgow.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that over 100 people have required treatment at Greater Glasgow and Clyde Hospitals as the public are increasingly coming under siege by the potential deadly disease carriers.
NHS data shows there have been 98 cases of rats causing wounds to arms, hands and fingers. They also list multiple cases of wounds to faces, legs, heads, toes and other unspecified parts of the body, reports Glasgow Live.
The NHS data shows a spike in the number of attacks between 2019 and 2023. It was previously reported that rat populations in the city had increased by around 45 per cent over this four-year period, with social housing residents reporting that rat infestations in their homes have doubled – sparking fears that the poorest in the city are being forced to live in slum-like conditions.
There has also been increased reports of diseases caused by the pests, including Cellulitis, an infection of the finger and toe, and Campylobacter Enteritis, a bacterial infection which can be deadly for the elderly or young.
Rats can also transmit other potentially deadly diseases to humans through either direct contact with their urine, faeces, saliva, or bites, or indirectly through fleas, ticks, or mites that they carry. These include Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Leptospirosis, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV), Plague, Typhus, Tularemia and Rickettsial Infections.
Other cases of infections – including to respiratory systems – are also noted.
While cases and fatalities are rare in the western world, rats can cause serious damage to humans, including kidney or liver damage, severe respiratory issues, sickness, meningitis or encephalitis.
Chris Mitchell, Glasgow’s GMB cleansing convenor, previously said that his members have been attacked. He said: “Every single day now I have members telling me they’ve seen rats. I’ve actually had to pull my members out of areas in Glasgow. It’s horrible.
“I’ve had members hospitalised, bitten and scratched. They carry Hantavirus and meningitis which can kill.
“We have to warn the young guys to tuck their trousers into their boots when they go into bin sheds in the pitch black to avoid getting bitten.
“The council just keep pointing the finger and takes no responsibility. It’s going to take a fatality before they listen.”
Niall Gallagher, Technical and Compliance Manager at the British Pest Control Association said previously: “Tackling pests is not just about improving living standards but about ensuring that everyone, regardless of income or circumstance, has the right to a safe, healthy home.”
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