“Rat to Cash” hopes to curb the spread of disease during the rainy season in Marikina City, a suburb of Manila.
A city in the Philippines has instituted a “Rat to Cash” program,’ offering money in exchange for rodents.
“Rat to Cash” hopes to curb the spread of disease during the rainy season in Marikina City, a suburb of Manila.
Rats can carry a bacteria known as Leptospirosis. It causes a water-borne disease that can be spread through rat urine.
According to the CDC, symptoms of Leptospirosis include fever, headache, and intestinal problems. And it can lead to liver and kidney failure, as well as meningitis.
The program doesn’t necessarily account for the possibility of people getting infected while handling rats, and nor can it prevent people from breeding rats to trade in for money.
But it’s proving popular. At a recent trade-in event, plenty of people showed up with cages and bags of the critters. The going rate for rats is about $3.50.
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