Overview
- Two people who lived in a severely rat‑infested RV contracted leptospirosis in May, with one person dying shortly after hospital admission and the other recovering after a lengthy stay after both delayed seeking care.
- Alameda County Vector Control removed nearly 200 rats from the vehicle before the RV was towed and destroyed and the city previously cleared about 40 tons of garbage from a nearby encampment to reduce rat habitat.
- Ongoing trapping and laboratory testing around the RV and Harrison Street area show a higher‑than‑expected prevalence of leptospirosis in local rats, which prompted officials to expand their response beyond the original corridor.
- Berkeley has retired the red and yellow geographic risk zones and shifted to a condition‑based, citywide strategy that includes outreach to people living in encampments and RVs, free dog vaccination offers, and clinical guidance for early testing and treatment.
- Officials say risk to the general public remains low but urge anyone with rat exposure and fever or flu‑like symptoms to seek prompt care, to avoid uncoordinated rat poisoning, and to report infestations to Alameda County Vector Control.