Infest and infect. While the world is still reeling from the hantavirus cruise outbreak — and the disease is gaining ground in the US — an entirely different rat-borne disease has claimed the life of one Berkley, California resident. In a public health release issued this week, the city confirmed that a man had died in May … Read more
Bay Area shoppers will have to get their food elsewhere after a Target store in San Jose had its grocery section closed due to a rat infestation. The shop near North Capitol Avenue and McKee Road was shut down by health inspectors after rodent droppings and opened bags of food were found in the store’s … Read more
Researchers found unusually high hantavirus levels in rodents in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting greater exposure risk in the surrounding agricultural communities. The area with the biggest prevalence is the Palouse region, which includes parts of eastern Washington and north-central Idaho in the Pacific Northwest. Researchers from Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine found unexpectedly high levels … Read more
Ah, rats! Researchers think they have debunked the origin of Chicago’s so-called “rat hole,” one of the Windy City’s weirdest local landmarks. Hold on. The rat hole wasn’t what you think. It wasn’t some back alley bar that served as a speakeasy for the city’s notorious gangster clientele or a tenement stuffed to the brim … Read more
Rats! Health officials are reporting an increase in a rare but serious infectious disease spread by rodents — just four months after Gene Hackman’s wife, the concert pianist Betsy Arakawa, died from it. A Grand Canyon National Park employee was recently exposed to hantavirus, with five cases logged so far this year in Arizona, KLAS-TV … Read more
Do we really have free will when it comes to eating? It’s a vexing question that is at the heart of why so many people find it so difficult to stick to a diet. To get answers, one neuroscientist, Harvey J. Grill of the University of Pennsylvania, turned to rats and asked what would happen … Read more
A Sydney restaurant has apologized after a customer posted an online review claiming she found a dead rat in her meal. The woman alleged to have come across the dead animal while eating a katsu don set at Japanese restaurant Tatsuya West Ryde. The customer, who posted a Google review under the name DO, said … Read more
Health officials found extensive evidence of rats on Gene Hackman’s New Mexico property during a hantavirus risk assessment test after the star’s wife was killed by the rodent-linked disease in late February. An environmental assessment of the property conducted in March — just one week after the couple was found dead — revealed rodent feces … Read more
Animal lovers now have a place to hang out with the “it” animals of the moment — big furry rodents. In the back of a real estate office building in what is known as America’s oldest city, capybaras are crawling into visitors’ laps, munching on corn on the cob, and hunting for scratches from humans at The … Read more
Betsy Arakawa — the classical pianist married to Gene Hackman — died last month of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease linked to rodents, New Mexico authorities announced Friday. Hantavirus patients can develop flu-like symptoms that quickly progress to breathing difficulties. The condition can significantly damage lung tissue, causing fluid to accumulate in the … Read more
Are you brave enough to try this dish? Maybe when pigs fry. New York City epicures are devouring a “special” Ecuadorian delicacy, guinea pigs — better known stateside as a potential pet for kids — and hailing them as a “very delicious” feast. At least that is the experience at the restaurant La Casa Del … Read more
Forget snakes on a plane — these passengers were panicked by a rodent on an aircraft. Freaked-out fliers spotted what appeared to be a rat running above an overhead bin on a Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles, California. A video depicting the furry infiltrator has racked up around two million views … Read more
Aw, rats. The Big Apple is the most rodent-riddled city in America, according to new data that will hardly surprise New Yorkers who notice the pests proliferating in parks, playgrounds and subway stations. Pest control company Terminix ranked the 50 most rodent-infested cities based on what locales use their services most often, with New York … Read more
Here’s your excuse not to work out today. A single session of high-intensity exercise can disturb the body’s main stress hormone, leading to less activity after the workout, a lower body temperature, and weight gain, a new study of mice finds. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan divided the rodents into three groups: … Read more
Come again? Orgasms aren’t just for pleasure or procreation. They’re biologically designed to enhance a long-lasting bond between sex partners, a groundbreaking study asserts. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin used groundbreaking technology to examine the brain activity of prairie voles — small, monogamous rodents — during and after orgasm. The team, led … Read more
Australian shoppers have been left horrified after spotting a woman inside a supermarket with pet rats nestled on each of her shoulders. The pet owner was casually waiting in line at the checkout of a Spudshed grocery store in Ellenbrook during peak shopping time on Tuesday. Despite her nonchalant demeanor, onlookers said they were “shocked” … Read more
No more Mr. Mice Guy. Mice are some of the dirtiest pests that can infest your home — they carry a variety of disease and organisms, which they spread by leaving behind their feces and urine. As the months get colder, mice often try to seek shelter, warmth and food inside homes. They particularly love NYC. The … Read more
Health experts are alarmed at a spike in typhus cases in Los Angeles County, where three recent deaths have been blamed on the disease. The disease is spread by fleas that have come into contact with animals — cats, possums, dogs and rodents — that are carrying the illness. In the 1930s and 1940s, typhus … Read more
NYC health inspectors shut down popular Koreatown restaurant Gammeeok on Wednesday, shortly after a couple claimed in a lawsuit they found a dead rat in their takeout soup. Inspectors reported finding rat droppings, food not being held at the correct temperature, and no trained supervisor on site, among other alleged violations. “The Department of Health … Read more
An NYC couple claims they found a dead rodent in soup they ordered from a popular Koreatown restaurant over the weekend, but the eatery is dismissing that allegation as “nonsense.” Eunice Lucero-Lee posted a series of photos and videos of what appears to be a dead black rat floating in the soup she said she … Read more