Taipei is grappling with a rise in rodent sightings that has sparked public concern over urban sanitation and the threat of hantavirus.
In videos compiled by CNN, residents recorded rats roaming streets, outdoor markets, train stations and shopping malls.
The scare intensified following the death of an elderly resident in the Daan District earlier this year, marking Taiwan’s first hantavirus-related fatality in 26 years.
According to Taipei Times, officials trapped four rodents in the victim’s neighbourhood after the death, with two testing positive for the virus. Since then, only one other person has contracted the illness and survived, keeping the annual case count at two, consistent with previous years.
Additionally, the World Health Organization said there is no evidence of an impending epidemic.
Since the virus is spread through contact with rodent waste and there has been no documented human-to-human transmission in Asia, authorities urged the public to focus on hygiene rather than panic.
Following public outcry over the rat problem, the Taipei city government increased the deployment of rat poison, including bromadiolone.
The potent blood-thinning poison has raised environmental concerns because it can move up the food chain when predators such as snakes and hawks consume contaminated rodents.
The outlet added that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has also introduced additional measures, including sealing rodent holes, tightening hygiene inspections and requiring stall owners to thoroughly clean their areas at the end of each day.
The city government also launched an app dubbed “Rat Radar” to help identify hotspots where rodents are gathering and direct intervention efforts more effectively.
Separately, three passengers died during an Andes hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius in April and May 2026.
The vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 carrying an initial infection that later spread to 11 confirmed and probable cases.
Social media users also reacted to Taipei’s rat problem. On Instagram, user Jaivarthan wrote: “You need to deploy a cat battalion.”