Researchers test 400 Faroese rats for disease-causing bacteria

About 400 rats from the Faroe Islands are being tested for bacteria that could make people ill, KVF reports. The rats were collected from different parts of the country and frozen before being sent to a laboratory at the University of the Faroe Islands’ Faculty of Science.

Biologist Eyðfinn Magnussen is leading the research to find out which bacteria Faroese rats carry and whether the types differ between regions. The results could provide a clearer picture of the risk of infection from rats in the islands.

One bacterium previously studied in Faroese rats is Leptospira, which can cause leptospirosis in both people and animals. Symptoms often resemble flu, including fever, headache and muscle pain, though the illness can sometimes become serious. People can be infected through contact with water or surroundings contaminated by urine from infected rats.