‘Rat to Cash’ Program Pays Bounty for Bags of Rodents

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. It can lead to liver and kidney failure, as well as meningitis.