San Francisco woman breeds rats, releases them in public parks
San Francisco Chronicle / 5-31-14
KTVU’s David Stevenson reports that a troubled San Francisco woman has been “breeding” rats and letting them loose into the city for years.
Identified only as 43-year-old Erica J., the woman first came to the attention of the city in 2011 when Animal Care and Control discovered she had bred “hundreds” of rats out of her room at a Minna Street residential hotel in the South of Market neighborhood.
By the end of that May, public health officials had exterminated ”thousands” of rats from the surrounding area.
Later, KTVU reported, Animal Care and Control reported finding Erica living under a Japantown pedestrian bridge with rats living off of her cart. Not surprisingly, several of the rats had escaped and infested the nearby area.
LINK: http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/05/30/s-f-at-loss-over-rat-girls-rodent-hoarding-video/
Sounds as if officials are powerless to stop her given unless certrain laws can be enacted. This is a serious public health issue.
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Diagnosis & Treatment
Diagnosis
Plague is a plausible diagnosis for people who are sick and live in, or have recently traveled to, the western United States or any other plague-endemic area. The most common sign of bubonic plague is the rapid development of a swollen and painful lymph gland called a bubo. A known flea bite or the presence of a bubo may help a doctor to consider plague as a cause of the illness.
In many cases, particularly in septicemic and pneumonic plague, there are no obvious signs that indicate plague. Diagnosis is made by taking samples from the patient, especially blood or part of a swollen lymph gland, and submitting them for laboratory testing. Once plague has been identified as a possible cause of the illness, appropriate treatment should begin immediately.
Treatment
Plague is a very serious illness, but is treatable with commonly available antibiotics. The earlier a patient seeks medical care and receives treatment that is appropriate for plague, the better their chances are of a full recovery.
People in close contact with very sick pneumonic plague patients may be evaluated and possibly placed under observation. Preventive antibiotic therapy may also be given, depending on the type and timing of personal contact.
If you live or have recently traveled to the western U.S. or any other plague endemic area and have symptoms suggestive of plague, seek health care immediately.
