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- 1Climate change may raise risks of rodent-borne diseases▼Changing climate may influence risks from deadly rodent-borne diseases
New coverage from Phys.org and the Natural History Museum warns that shifting climate conditions could change the risks posed by deadly rodent-borne diseases. Warmer temperatures and altered rainfall patterns may expand rodent habitats and increase human contact with pathogens such as hantavirus and Lassa fever, prompting calls for improved disease surveillance as environments change.
- 2Flea-borne typhus outbreak under investigation in Los Angeles●Flea-borne typhus outbreak under investigation in Wilshire Center
Health officials are investigating a flea-borne typhus outbreak in the Wilshire Center neighborhood of Los Angeles. Flea-borne typhus, spread by fleas that pick up the bacteria from rodents, cats and opossums, can cause fever, headache and rash. Local news coverage is drawing attention to the outbreak, with residents and officials focused on how it is spreading and what steps are being taken to contain it.
- 3Volunteer 'Rat Rangers' lead evening walks through Washington DC alleys●🐀 NEW: In Washington, DC, volunteer "Rat Rangers" lead evening walks through alleys to teach residents that # sanitation
In Washington, DC, a group of volunteers called the Rat Rangers leads evening walks through alleys to teach residents that better sanitation, not poison, is the key to rodent control. About two dozen neighbors join each walk to learn about rat biology and the toll rodenticides take. The group formed after a 2024 study found rodenticides in local wildlife.