Garbage menace: 400 cases of rat fever reported this year in Bengaluru, parts of Karnataka | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The surge in rat and bandicoot populations, especially in residential and commercial areas, has triggered alarm among citizens and health officials alike, with over 400 confirmed cases of leptospirosis — commonly known as rat fever — reported in the city and other parts of Karnataka since Jan this year.The primary reasons for the surge in the rodent population are: poor sanitation and waste management in the city, disposal of food waste by eateries into the roadside drains, unregulated feeding of stray dogs, availability of hiding spots especially in garden spaces closer to the sewers and failure of the civic agency to come up with any plan to control the growing rat population. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that gets transmitted to humans when the latter come in contact with the urine of the infected animals (mostly mice and rats) or with the urine contaminated soil and water. It would cause high fever and headache, diarrhoea, vomiting and rashes on skin. Checking rats in the houses and working with gloves in gardens would prevent leptospirosis.BBMP sources said dumping of food waste by makeshift eateries in the open or into roadside drains has aided rat population in the city. This apart, overfeeding stray dogs with food by animal lovers, residents, hotel staff, and hostel operators also attracts rats. “In the absence of scientific protocols or designated feeding zones, food is being dumped in open spaces, near drains, at park corners, and street junctions. This has attracted rodents, which now feed off the same food meant for dogs. In many areas, residents have begun complaining of rodents entering homes and damaging car and bike wirings, chewing through vehicle seats, and digging up stormwater drains and park beds,” a BBMP official said, while pointing out that the city is home to around 2.8 lakh stray dogs.“There are over 500 individuals or groups who feed stray dogs every day, and nearly 25,000 animals depend on such food. But we do not yet have a standard operating procedure or guidelines for how and where this food should be placed. Nor is there clarity on what kind of food is suitable for the health of these animals or public hygiene,” said a senior official from the BBMP animal husbandry department.“There is no denying the link between open food disposal and rodent infestation. We are seeing an increase in leptospirosis cases, and many are being traced back to areas where stray dog feeding happens on a large scale, without any regulation. Public cooperation is important, but it has to be backed by scientific, civic discipline,” said a BBMP health officer, requesting anonymity.Rodents, especially bandicoots, are increasingly becoming a visible problem in dense urban areas like Basavanagudi, Malleswaram, Indiranagar, and parts of Rajajinagar, with civic complaints pouring in about damage to property and fear of disease outbreaks. BBMP’s health department has also taken note of the rising cases of leptospirosis and is working with the zoonotic diseases cell to track clusters and issue health advisories.The civic body is now under pressure to introduce clear guidelines on stray dog feeding, set up designated community feeding zones, and launch a public awareness campaign about the unintended consequences of unregulated feeding of stray dogs.