By Milt Harris ——Bio and Archives--April 22, 2024
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It's time to face the truth. New York State and New York City have been struggling due to the woke leadership choices made by their citizens. The city's lenient laws have allowed crime to run rampant, and the financial burden of illegal immigration has contributed to its decline into squalor.
Not all rats in New York wear suits and work in federal buildings. The city now suffers from a rodent problem due to the moral squalor resulting in physical filth.
In October 1347, the second pandemic, also known as the Black Death, arrived in Messina, Sicily. It is believed to have spread from Central Asia through fleas on rats that were on board Genoese ships. This caused a rapid and widespread wave of plague infections that swept across most of Europe like wildfire.
According to a CBS News report, the number of diseases caused by rats in the city reached its highest annual rate last year. The rodents have become increasingly common in urban areas, threatening public health.
A major fear is a disease known as leptospirosis which is caused by bacteria found in rat urine. The disease usually causes flu-like symptoms such as aches, chills, diarrhea, jaundice, and rash. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if left untreated, the disease can lead to kidney failure, meningitis, liver damage, and respiratory distress.
According to a CBS News report, Mayor Eric Adams and city health officials have been devising ways to contain the spread of the disease and control the rat population. This includes sterilizing the animals since rat poison has been outlawed, although many residents still use it, and encouraging citizens to use gloves when handling garbage or food waste.
Last week, the health department issued an advisory about leptospirosis, warning that the disease can be transmitted through direct contact with contaminated water, soil, or food, which enters the body through open wounds or mucous membranes. In New York City, the specific bacteria associated with leptospirosis is carried by the Norwegian rat, a large brown breed commonly found in the city's trash, streets, subways, basements, and sewage. It is rare for the disease to be transmitted between people. Health officials suggest that people are most likely to contract the disease if they come in contact with areas where infected rats have urinated, especially when handling trash bags or bins. The disease usually has an incubation period of five to 14 days, but it can become active as early as two days or as late as a month.
According to city health officials, the leptospira bacteria typically cannot survive in freezing temperatures or dry heat. However, due to excessive rain and unseasonably warm temperatures, the bacteria's chances of survival have increased. This explains why the bacteria has been able to thrive in New York City. Officials have pointed out that the hotter and wetter climate in June and October of 2023, compared to prior years, was a contributing factor in the increase of cases. In total, there were 24 cases that year, 10 of which occurred during those months. Dr. Celia Quinn, New York City's deputy health commissioner for disease control, wrote in the health department’s April 12 advisory. This year there have already been six cases as of April 10.
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A single pair of rats can produce 15,000 offspring in a year, so implementing the city's garbage containment plan is expected to take at least two and a half years. Therefore, it’s fair to say that New Yorkers' rat-related issues are far from being resolved.
Earlier this year, the efforts to control rat populations gained renewed attention due to the death of a famous owl named "Flaco," who had escaped from Central Park Zoo and was living in New York City. In February, Flaco died after colliding with a building in Manhattan. Veterinary pathologists from Bronx Zoo discovered that Flaco had elevated levels of rat poison in his system, which would have affected his ability to fly.
While rats of the rodent type are breeding and running wild within the city, the two-legged rats are wasting money persecuting a former president on court cases that have no validity. News Nation estimates that as much as $2 million could be spent on the “hush-money” trial alone that started last week. It’s this type of misguided use of tax dollars that paralyzes progress in the city.
We can only pray that in future elections, the memory of these deliberately deceitful and politically motivated money dumps will be remembered, and more responsible people will be elected.
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Milt spent thirty years as a sales and operations manager for an international manufacturing company. He is also a four-time published author on a variety of subjects. Now, he spends most of his time researching and writing about conservative politics and liberal folly.