The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that rats might become more aggressive during the pandemic since food sources become scarce. According to Independent's latest report, humans are not the only ones affected by the lockdown caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. Some rodents are becoming more brazen to find new food sources since almost all restaurants are currently closed.
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"Some jurisdictions have reported an increase in rodent activity as rodents search for new sources of food," CDC stated.
"Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior," explained CDC.
Pest control workers are classified as essential in cities trying to combat the rat issues, like the District of Columbia. According to city 311 data, 800 calls regarding rodents were received by the District for the past months. Food-borne illnesses such as salmonella can be transmitted by rodents and other health issues such as asthma and allergies--children are most likely at risk,
Because of the aggressive behavior of rodents, they are starting to devour cars, posing an additional threat to those working remotely. Car engines and tires that were destroyed by the rodents can cause fires, pushing goaded officials and car owners to seek their own solutions for the pest issue. Bobby Corrigan, an urban rodentologist, stated that the rats would need to adapt to find new food sources as the pandemic continues. He also currently works with other pest experts to share what they discovered surveying the area affected by the pests.
