Question

This is a rather unusual question! One of my neighbours, who is a very fit young man in the army, has returned from Kenya with what has been diagnosed as a post-infectious fatigue syndrome that sounds very much like ME. It developed after he caught an infection called Leptospirosis which he says is transmitted from animals, including rats, through their infected urine.

I’m now feeling a bit concerned because, although I love birds, I have a neighbour who has bird tables all over the garden and this brings in rats which also come into my garden. So should I be worried about catching this disease?

Answer

Thanks for this interesting question!

Firstly, Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection which is also known as Weil’s disease. It’s not that common here in the UK. However, on a worldwide basis it’s the commonest human disease caught from animals and there are over one million cases each year with around 60,000 deaths.

As you say, Leptospirosis is caught through close contact with urine from an infected animal – which can include rats and cattle – and the acute flu-like illness can also lead to very serious complications. As it’s a bacterial infection, early recognition and treatment with antibiotics can be very effective and even lifesaving. Afterwards, recovery can be slow and result in an ME/CFS-like illness with prolonged debilitating fatigue.

So anyone – they could be vets, farmers, pest control workers – who comes into regular contact with non-domestic animals needs to be aware of this infection and make sure they try to avoid contact with animal urine by wearing gloves, etc. This also includes people who participate in water sports.

As far as the rats in your garden are concerned, they do represent a small risk – especially when you have a condition like ME/CFS that places you at increased risk if you caught this infection. So I would try to persuade your neighbour to reduce the amount of bird seed that is accessible to rats. You should certainly wear gloves if out in the garden where the rats are found. And, if things don’t improve, I would ask your local council to send one of the pest control officers round.

More Information:

• See the NHS information on Leptospirosis