Beijing, Dec 31 (IANS) A fatal disease spread by rats has claimed 10 lives in an eastern Chinese province this year, officials said.
Between October and November alone, around 140 people in Qingdao of Shandong province were diagnosed with haemorrhagic fever that can cause kidney failure, the Shanghai Daily reported.
The outbreak occurred mainly in the rural outskirts of Qingdao, said officials.
Symptoms for haemorrhagic fever include high temperature, headaches and bleeding, the Shandong TV station said.
People can contract the disease through contact with infected rats or their droppings or by eating food or drinking water contaminated by the rodents. However, it does not spread between humans.
