A pest control expert has warned that rats "breeding freely" amid Birmingham's ongoing bin strike could spread potentially "fatal diseases" to residents.
The bin strike in Birmingham has now entered its seventh full week, with thousands of tonnes of rubbish left uncollected across England's second largest city.
More than 350 Unite union workers began walkouts in January before escalating to indefinite strike action in March.
Residents have reported seeing rats "the size of small cats" feasting on rubbish piles that have accumulated for weeks.
Grahame Turner revealed the dangers of Lyme disease which is spread in rat urine
GB NEWS
Speaking to GB News, Grahame Turner revealed the dangers of Lyme disease, a form of leptospirosis spread through rat urine.
He explained: "The urine is an issue. There's a disease called Lyme disease, a type of leptospirosis, which is a bacterial disease spread through their urine.
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"And yes, they can spread the urine far and wide. If anything is wet if the rubbish is wet then handle it only with gloves, I would recommend, because the bacteria can be picked up on your hands and then spread to food you're eating, or if you touch your lips.
"Or, if it gets into a cut, it can give you Lyme disease, which can affect you very badly and can be fatal.
"So, that is a key disease risk. But there are other diseases they spread as well, such as salmonella, hantavirus, and others. In their droppings, those will be full of other bacteria.
"Any contamination of your hands, or if they get into buildings, is a serious health risk."
He added: "With the hot weather we've been having, the droppings are drying out. It's possible that the virus can become airborne if those rats in that area have hantavirus. So, that is a possible problem as well.
"It's going to be a phenomenal problem now to get rid of the rats once they've become established.
"They need three things to live: shelter, food, and a water supply. At the moment, they've got all that, so they'll be breeding freely.
"They'll be rapidly expanding in number because they breed very quickly, with a short gestation period and quick generational turnover. The numbers will get out of hand."
The bin strike in Birmingham has now entered its seventh full week
GETTY
A secret council dossier obtained under freedom of information laws has revealed the severity of the health crisis facing Birmingham residents.
The nine-page document warns that those living in areas of deprivation, the immunocompromised, infants, elderly, and disabled people are "particularly susceptible to adverse health impacts of the strike."
The risk assessment highlights concerns about land, air and water contamination through flytipping, decomposing waste and residents burning rubbish.
It specifically mentions a "medium" but "tolerable" risk of gastrointestinal disease from piling food waste, animal waste and human waste.
The document also notes that rats are "vectors of disease including leptospirosis, salmonella and hantavirus."
