BIRMINGHAM could be dragged back to the Victorian era during bin strikes thanks to Labour, Tories have slammed.
Industrial action by refuse workers – who are unhappy about pay and job cuts – has seen mountains of uncollected waste piling up across the city.
Roland LeonRubbish in the streets during the Birmingham strike[/caption]
SWNSA mobile household waste collection point at Collingbourne Avenue in Bromford[/caption]
GettyA huge pile of Rubbish on Bromfield Close in Aston[/caption]
SelwynPicsGiant rats in rubbish bags on the streets of Small Heath Park Birmingham[/caption]
Locals have reported “rats the size of cats” scavenging through the bin bags.
As mounds of rotting waste pile up on the streets and temperatures soar to 21C, the city risks becoming a hotbed for deadly diseases, some so severe they can cause eye-bleeding and organ failure.
In a scathing attack on Labour’s failure to act, the Shadow Local Government Secretary slammed Birmingham’s streets as “rubbish-strewn, overflowing with bins, and plagued by rats the size of cats roaming freely.”
Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake told MailOnline that Labour isn’t just taking Birmingham back to the 1970s, but “all the way back to the Victorian era.”
Conservatives in the city are now urging the council to declare a public health emergency, fearing the warmer spring temperatures could spark an outbreak of diseases.
Mr Hollinrake accused the government of “appeasing the unions,” pointing out that “diseases like Weil’s, Hantavirus, and rat-bite fever are not fiction – they are real threats, and they thrive in filth.”
He added: “This crisis is Labour’s doing – plain and simple.”
It comes as warm and dry weather is expected to continue across the country for the whole of this week which could exacerbate the situation.
Prof Malcolm Bennett, a zoonotic and emerging disease expert from the University of Nottingham, warned The Sun of potential risks.
This could potentially increase the spread of “deadly” Leptospirosis – also known as Weil’s disease.
Leptospirosis is spread in the pee of infected animals, most commonly rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.
And rodent numbers are now booming because of overflowing wheelie bins and missed rounds, Sutton Coldfield firm Hullternative Pest Control said.
The company revealed it has seen a 70 to 80 per cent increase in calls and has tripled its orders for rat poison since the strikes began on March 11.
Service manager Martin Hull described the piles of rubbish as a “buffet on tap” for the pests.
The all-out strike by members of the Unite union started on March 11, but waste collections have been disrupted since January.
Residents say the row has left many areas resembling a “third world country” with serious concerns now growing about public health.
Unite says the dispute will not end unless the “hugely damaging” cuts to bin collectors’ wages are reversed.
The union claims the move to get rid of the role of waste recycling and collection officer (WRCO) will leave about 150 members £8,000 worse off.
Birmingham City Council declared a major incident over the risks to public health and environmental damage caused by the strikes by Unite union members last Monday.
The Labour-run council said actions on the picket line have blocked contingency vehicles from getting out.
What are the symptoms of Weil’s disease and hantavirus?
Both Weil’s disease and hantavirus are rarely seen in the UK and are spread through the wee of infected animals.
Weil’s disease also known as leptospirosis is most commonly seen in animals, this includes rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.
You can get leptospirosis if:
Soil or freshwater (such as water from a river, canal or lake) that contains infected pee gets in your mouth, eyes or a cut, usually during activities like kayaking, outdoor swimming or fishing
You touch an infected animal’s blood or flesh, usually from working with animals or animal parts
Most people who get leptospirosis have no symptoms, or mild flu-like symptoms. But some people get seriously ill.
Symptoms of leptospirosis may include:
High temperature
Headache
Body aches and pain
Tummy ache
Feeling sick or being sick
Diarrhoea
Redness in the white part of your eyes
Yellowing of the skin (which may be harder to see on black or brown skin) or white part of the eyes
You should see a GP if you think you’ve been exposed to to infected pee, water, or soil and have the above symptoms.
You’ll usually be given antibiotic tablets to treat the infection. Most people recover in a few days or weeks.
It’s important to finish the course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better.
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve any aches, pains or a high temperature.
If you have severe symptoms, you may need to be treated in hospital.
Hantavirus
Hantavirus is a group of viruses primarily transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva.
In the UK, the most notable strain is the Seoul virus, associated with rats.
Humans can contract hantavirus by inhaling aerosolised particles from rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials.
They can also catch it through direct contact with contaminated surfaces via broken skin or mucous membranes, or, more rarely, through rodent bites.
Hantavirus infections can range from mild to severe.
Early symptoms often resemble the flu and may include:
Fever and chills
Muscle aches
Headaches
Nausea and vomiting
In more severe cases, the infection can progress to:
Acute kidney injury
Hemorrhagic manifestations
Respiratory distress
If you’ve had potential exposure to rodents or their excreta and develop flu-like symptoms that escalate to severe respiratory or kidney issues, seek medical care promptly.
Early diagnosis and supportive treatment are crucial for recovery.
However, talks to end the bin collectors’ strike in Birmingham have been described as “productive”.
Unite members walked out last month over pay and job concerns, causing rubbish to pile up in the city.
After a series of meetings, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “The talks with Unite were productive, but there are still a number of issues to resolve.
“We are looking forward to continuing with negotiations.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting expressed concern on Tuesday about the growing public health risk.
“As the bin bags are piling up, we see rats and other vermin crawling around,” he told Times Radio.
“That’s not good for public health. I think this dispute has escalated way out of hand.”
AlamyTory MP Kevin Hollinrake made the claims[/caption]
Tonnes of rubbish was dumped in a car park in Tyseley, BirminghamAlamy
AlamyCity residents claim they can smell the stench while walking down the street[/caption]
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