There has been alarm among some New York City dog owners in recent days as reports have been circulating about the risks to canine health posed by the city's legions of rats.
A section of the park that is used as a dog run was temporarily shut down for maintenance after rumors of an outbreak of a disease spread by rat urine. Animals can become gravely ill if they contract the disease, because thebacteria can linger in puddles and damp spots. It can sicken humans.
Lincoln Restler, a councilman who represents the area, said on his verified account last week that his office had received reports that several dogs who had visited the park later died of the disease. The Health Department said that it was working with the Parks Department to look for rats in the park. The Health Department requires veterinarians to report positive cases of the disease.
Mr. Restler said in an interview that he was hopeful that the actions taken by the parks and health department would address the conditions at McCarren.
The accounts led to grave concern from dog owners, and reminders from local veterinarians about the importance of vaccinations for dogs that spend a lot of time in parks.
Humans and animals are susceptible to the disease because it is caused by the urine of rodents.
In warm, wet environments, the bacteria can live in soil, water and food. It can enter the body through open wounds or by drinking water.
The late summer and fall are when thebacteria tend to surge, according to Dr. Fadl. It is difficult to diagnose an infection quickly because the initial symptoms are not specific.
Symptoms usually start a week or two after exposure, and can be treated with antibiotics. If left unattended, leptospirosis can cause life threatening damage to the body.
The rise in the rat population is believed to have caused a spike in reported cases of leptospirosis. The reported cases of canine leptospirosis dropped.
15 cases were reported by the city last year, compared to an average of three cases a year for the previous 15 years. Health officials said that most people who were sick had a clear history or risk factor which exposed them to an environment with a severe rat population. Human-to-human transmission is rare, and none of the cases was linked to a dog's disease.
There were 15 cases of dogs last year, down from a high of 29 the year before. The drop may be due to providers failing to report cases as required. Between 2006 and 2020 a total of 269 cases were reported to the Health Department from all five boroughs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease has been diagnosed among pets more frequently in the past few years.
Dr. Fadl, who works at the Cobble Hill location of Bond Vet, said that the practice had not seen any cases recently. The three shelters run by the organization, which together take in about 6,000 dogs a year, have not recorded an outbreak of the disease.
There is a vaccine. The initial dose is followed by a booster three to four weeks later. The increase in the rat population in New York City makes Dr. Fadl recommend it.
If you have a private backyard, if your pet likes to sniff around garbage, and if you drink from standing puddles, you should get a vaccine.
It can save you if you talk to your elderly or young friends about this pet.
It's important to stay away from puddles and pools that could contain rat urine. Keeping your dog away from rats and other small rodents can help prevent the spread of the disease.
Dr. Fadl said to make sure your dog avoids communal water bowls, and instead use a travel bowl or bottle to provide fresh, uncontaminated water to drink.
According to the Parks Department, the McCarren Park Dog Run isn't an official dog run, but it is heavily used by local dog owners. The department received two complaints about rodents in the park in the past year.
On Friday, the Parks Department replaced the trash cans with metal cans that are rat resistant, and on Monday they began to refresh the area and replace the wood chips that line the ground.
On a cold day last week, the area was almost empty. Dog owners said they were staying away from the park after hearing stories that a dog had died from a disease.
The park's general lack of cleanliness and fears about the disease had kept him from taking his golden retriever there.
The dog park is going to be dirty, he said. He said that things that can spread the disease are always there.
Billy Lucas was also concerned. He returned to the park with his dog after he noticed that a sign warning of an outbreak had been taken down. He noted that the sign he saw was not posted by the city.
He said that a concerned dog owner came up to him and told him that a few puppies have passed away from lepto.
Michael said he double checked to make sure his dog's vaccinations were up to date and that he had received the vaccine.
He said that they encouraged them to get it because of the rats.
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