> Still, leptospirosis has not been a prime concern from the rats' mischief until recently. Between 2001 and 2020, the city logged an average of just three leptospirosis cases a year—and some of those were travel related. But, things took a turn during the pandemic when the rat population seemed to boom. From 2021 and 2022, the average shot up to 15. In 2023, there were 24 cases, the highest number of cases ever recorded for a single year. And as of April 10, there have been six cases so far.<p>Obviously, rats??! Yuck!!<p>But finding more cases today doesn't mean they weren't there in the past. They could have been there but undiscovered. Levels increased along with the pandemic (read: more people given any symptoms headed straight to the doctor).