CDC Warns Aggressive Rat Problem on the Rise

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The CDC has issued a warning about an additional problem the coronavirus is causing – hungry and potentially aggressive rodents!
The COVID-19 lockdown measures have caused a food shortage for vermin, with restaurants either closed, or operating at minimum capacity. With food places starting to open up once more, the CDC warns rodents are on the hunt for food and could be unusually aggressive.
“Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior,” the CDC revealed in a bulletin post last week, according to the Huffington Post.
The CDC sent out a memo warning restaurant and business owners of the potential rat problem and encouraging them to keep garbage can lids firmly closed and all points of entry sealed off.
“Follow established guidelines when cleaning up after rodent infestations to prevent exposure to rodent-borne diseases,” Huffington Post report the advisory as saying. “Fleas are common on rodents. In areas of heavy rodent infestations, workers should consider using a repellent registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
Not only have hungry and aggressive rat populations been reported in numerous urban areas, but some rodents are also even resorting to cannibalism.
“Starving rats, of course, like most mammals will become aggressive and violent, killing and then eating other rats in order to stay alive,” urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan told Fox News. “Rat carcasses are being seen on the streets partially eaten by stronger or other rats.”
“It’s a difficult time to be a rat,” Claudia Riegel, director of New Orleans Mosquito, Rodent and Pest Control Board, said during a recent press conference. “Because the food is limited, they are going to start fighting with each other.”