What is rat disease? The first case of this condition in humans in the world has been confirmed

If there is one thing that paralyzes me with fear, it is the rats. While it was previously thought that rats could not transmit hepatitis to humans, a case of rat disease was discovered in humans. The New York Times reported that a man from Hong Kong had been diagnosed with rat hepatitis E. And the case serves as a wake-up call to city officials, Dr. Siddharth Sridhar, clinical assistant professor of microbiology department of the University of Hong Kong patient, said at a press conference, according to the South China Morning Post.

"This kind of unusual infections, rare infections, early cases – even a single case is enough to make public health authorities and researchers very attentive to the implications." If you live in a densely populated urban area, you have probably met a rat. New York City even has its own rat mascot known as a pizza-rat that heralds the beginning of summer by slipping a slice of pizza into the streets of the city. Although this is a cute anecdote, rats are a real problem. People on Twitter reported being chased by rats, and a Twitter user based in New York He put on his coat and a live rat jumped out of his pocket.

I will give you a moment to stop shouting.

the Morning News from Southern China noted that in the subdivision where the case of rat disease was found, rats "as big as kittens" roam the property without control. Officials discovered hepatitis E in at least one rat, and at the press conference Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, a senior microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, said the problems should be addressed serious. SARS) epidemic in the region in 2003, and is thought to be from an animal that transmits the disease to humans.

"We do not know if in the future there will be a serious epidemic of hepatitis E virus in the rat in Hong Kong, we have to watch this problem closely," Yeun said. In addition, a 2011 study published in the journal Emerging infectious diseases reported that the rat disease virus had been found in Los Angeles, California. However, at the time of the study, it was thought that the virus was "not transmissible to rhesus monkeys, suggesting that it is not a source of human infection ". With an infected human being in Hong Kong, officials at the press conference said that there was no need to panic, but the case warrants further investigation into the transmission of diseases from rodents to humans.

As the man was under observation after a liver transplant and the infection had been identified immediately, he fully recovered after being treated with antiviral drugs. Sridhar said that the best defense against the contraction of a rat disease is a good attack. This means that rats can not enter your living space. "Make sure there is no food for the rats, which means there is no litter within the reach of the rats," he said. he advises.

Although this is easier said than done if you live in an urban area, you can make sure that your apartment is unattractive to rats. The Pest Kill website offers natural remedies for repelling rats such as peppermint oil, black pepper, bay leaves, sage, etc. "The use of herbs – such as black pepper, oregano and cayenne – is another good alternative for repelling rats. You can sprinkle herbs on plants, soil , the crevices of the gates and the points of entry, "says the site.

In addition, studies have revealed that rats do not like the smell of cat pheromones. So anyway you want to have a cat; this is one of the reasons why cats are the best pets. I can personally attest that this is true. After leaving a house where we never had rats, my former roommate sent me a text message to tell me that rats had entered the house after me and that my two cats were gone. If you are bitten by a rat, or if your cat or dog catches a rat, take the doctor and your pet to the vet. Because, when it comes to rats, prevention is always better than cure.