There is a new phase in New York City's war on rats after the Health Department warned that in 2023 rat-related sickness soared to the highest level in a single year.

They are everywhere — in your kitchens, in your gardens, in your trash, and now they are making New Yorkers sick.

Last year was a record year for rat disease. From 2001 to 2020, New York City was averaging just three cases of human leptospirosis per year. That jumped to 24 cases last year and there have been six cases so far this year.

Although the city does have a new rat czar, it is a difficult problem. One pair of rats has the potential to breed 15,000 descendants in a single year.



Due to concerns about rat poison as it related to the death of the beloved owl¹ Flaco, a city councilman has introduced a bill for a pilot program to sterilize² rats. The plan calls for using special pellets that officials hope will be so delicious the rats will eat the pellets and not city trash.