Rats, Dog Poop, Dumpsters - Recipe For Disease?

[DMF]

There are more rats prowling urban alleyways then ever before. some as big as squirrels.
No doubt throwing dog waiste in garbage bins has alot to do with it.
So I'm wondering if this might, maybe already, be contributing to potential diseases down the road.
Wasn't Bubonic Plague caused by fleas that latched onto these rats?

 

[Regina]

There are more rats prowling urban alleyways then ever before. some as big as squirrels.
No doubt throwing dog waiste in garbage bins has alot to do with it.
So I'm wondering if this might, maybe already, be contributing to potential diseases down the road.
Wasn't Bubonic Plague caused by fleas that latched onto these rats?

Nopes.

 

[Dave Clark]

History has shown that improved sanitation has eliminated many diseases that at one time were common, but only now common in third world countries. And the literature teaches that the plague came from fleas, so if that is a 'nopes', then what was the cause that spread that disease?
Eliminate sewage and water treatment plants and garbage disposal, and sit back and watch the disease and infection rates go up. Whether it effects viruses, etc., we sure don't need to pile on: Sanitation

 

[Regina]

History has shown that improved sanitation has eliminated many diseases that at one time were common, but only now common in third world countries. And the literature teaches that the plague came from fleas, so if that is a 'nopes', then what was the cause that spread that disease?
Eliminate sewage and water treatment plants and garbage disposal, and sit back and watch the disease and infection rates go up. Whether it effects viruses, etc., we sure don't need to pile on: Sanitation

"Eliminate sewage and water treatment plants and garbage disposal,"
Oh yes. I definitely said that.

The OP blamed dog poop.
I have lived in NYC or Chicago most of my adult life and have been observing the reality of this notion.
I lived on the 1st floor directly across from a dog park that was inside a 6 acre park with open garbage cans surrounding the park.

There were always people who wanted to ban dogs based on this false idea that dog poop attract rats. So, I started to study it like a bloodhound detective.
Obviously, both cities have a lot of rats.

I observed rats in all the perimeter garbage bins. Many people eat lunch in the park and throw away the trash from that in these bins. The rats can be observed pulling out the sandwich bags. So these bins have about 50/50 people food garbage and dog poop bags.

The dog park bins have only dog poop bags because people were not allowed to bring food into the dog park.

I never once saw a rat in the dog park or near any of the garbage bins in it or the ones next to the perimeter.
Clearly the rats avoided the area where the dog smells were concentrated. They also had no interest in the bins filled with dog poop bags.

Now, I live in a different part of the dense city. (and almost everybody has a dog). It is true that many people do not pick up after their dog. (that's another issue).
The sidewalks have rats. When I walk my dog at night, I make sure to stomp to alert them. Some seasons the rats overrun the area and some seasons, we hardly see any.
Anyway, I decided to continue my dog poop observation in this new neighborhood. I would note poop left on the sidewalk or in the parkway dirt. No rat EVER ate ANY dog poop. That is my conclusion after studying this for 15 years. My neighbor's have rats in their backyard. I have never seen one in mine. My dog pees back there.

Test results of the 15 year study: Rats do not eat dog poop. Dog pee smell repels rats.

Now, my next study will determine exactly what kind of person leaves dog poop on the public sidewalks, parkways and park.
They are the plague.

 

[Goat-e]

Now, my next study will determine exactly what kind of person leaves dog poop on the public sidewalks, parkways and park.
They are the plague.

Round our way there are people who pick up their dog's poo in a bag...then tie the bag to a low branch rather than walk it to a bin. It's incomprehensible.

 

[Regina]

Round our way there are people who pick up their dog's poo in a bag...then tie the bag to a low branch rather than walk it to a bin. It's incomprehensible.

ohhh, that's a twisted subset of poop leavers.

 

[DMF]

OK - but still, isn't dog poop combined with garbage a danger in of itself? Toxins - gasses , just doesn't seem much study being done there.