Deadly disease traced back to ‘severely rat-infested’ RV in Berkeley

A large encampment in Berkeley is being cleared amid a deadly bacterial outbreak linked to a rat-infested RV. 

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Residents at the homeless encampment at Eighth and Harrison streets were notified on Friday about the removal as officials urged them to clear their property by Tuesday. City officials identified the encampment as the site of leptospirosis outbreak earlier this year and called it both a fire hazard and a public nuisance.

Matthai Chakko, a spokesperson for the city, confirmed to SFGATE that Berkeley staff went to the Harrison Street corridor on Tuesday morning. According to KTVU-TV, police were at the site on Tuesday and instructed people in the area to remove their belongings. 

Public health officials say the cleanup is especially important to “prevent further spread” of leptospirosis, according to the Sept. 11 notice obtained by SFGATE. Leptospirosis, a deadly flu-like illness, spread to two people in Berkeley, according to a .

The cases were identified by officials in May, and both were living in a “severely rat-infested” RV about a mile from the Harrison Street encampment. One person died, and both people received medical care too late, which officials believe may have worsened their illnesses, the memo states. The infections were the first human cases in Berkeley in more than a decade, officials said.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, told SFGATE that leptospirosis is “very uncommon” in a place like Berkeley. The bacteria that causes leptospirosis spreads through the urine of infected animals, which can contaminate water or soil and put people at risk. Chin-Hong said the disease is often found in places with tropical climates like Hawaii because of its rainfall and pools of water. 

“Humans swim in the water, and then the bacteria that lives in the urine multiplies with warm weather and then gets into the cuts on the skin of humans or the eyes or dogs, too,” he said. “That’s how people get sick.” 

People who are unhoused are at risk of getting sick because they can be in environments close to contaminated water, mud, soil or rodents. Workers in the sanitation industry are also more likely to be infected with leptospirosis if they are exposed to garbage or sewer areas with the contaminated urine, Chin-Hong added. Dogs are also susceptible to the illness, but there are vaccines for dogs that can help prevent it. 

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Although there isn’t a human vaccine for leptospirosis, Chin-Hong said the general public shouldn’t be fearful. 

“I think everyone should know that this is around. I know the general population isn’t really at risk,” he said. 

Some symptoms to look out for are similar to the flu, such as fevers and muscle aches, Chin-Hong said. In more severe cases, people can experience red eyes, liver failure and kidney failure, he said. 

“That is why it can be very serious,” he said. “It is treatable with antibiotics, but not everyone recognizes these symptoms.” 

Berkeley officials first became aware of leptospirosis at the Harrison Street encampment in December 2025 as veterinarians treated sickened dogs at the encampment. Officials tested the rats in the area and detected the bacteria, resulting in an “ongoing public health investigation” at the site, according to the city’s website. In January, the city issued a public health notice about the dogs that tested positive for leptospirosis.

City officials have been for years, but officials were blocked multiple times by court orders and lawsuits. Officials were finally granted permission to clear the encampment last month after a judge allowed city officials to move forward with the initiative. However, the city is required to help residents with disabilities relocate, KNTV-TV reported.