https://youtu.be/ZJLg5Z8S2W8
Rodents, rats in general, pose grave health threats to the public and farm animals. Rats quickly pick up diseases from one area and transport them to another. Most at risk are humans and poultry. In a recent Canadian study, fecal dropping from rats contained Escherichia coli which are known to be toxic to poultry and infectious to humans. Rats can carry the bacteria on their fur which can be transferred to chickens. This bacterium was found to be multi-drug resistant. Rats found in Delta have been identified as being pathogen sponges, in terms of absorbing disease causing organisms and spreading these around the environment. These findings provide a valuable reminder about the risk posed by rats in close vicinity to local communities and farms.
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/deltabc-1.983313/blog-rats-pose-health-threat-to-people-and-farm-animals-1.2156368