Berkeley reports fatal and severe leptospirosis cases linked to a running encampment

Berkeley health officials confirmed two recent human leptospirosis cases tied to a North Berkeley encampment, including one death and one lengthy hospitalization; the patients, who lived in an RV and allegedly bred wild rats, are the city’s first known cases in about a decade, prompting expanded precautions beyond the initial risk area. While the risk to housed residents remains extremely low, authorities urge campers and RV residents to avoid rat exposure and follow preventive steps, and public health teams are coordinating professional rat extermination. The city has removed roughly 40 tons of trash from the Harrison Street site to curb rat habitats, UC Davis has tested area dogs and offered vaccines, and vaccines for dogs are recommended where appropriate.