WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- An infestation of rats is plaguing the streets of New York City, the most populous city in the United States, new data showed.

Sightings of rats in New York City have risen 70 percent from the same time two years ago, the city's FOX 5 local news network reported.

Over 21,500 sightings were reported in the city between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 this year, a huge jump from 18,601 sightings during the same period last year.

Through the month of April, New Yorkers reported seeing around 7,400 rats.

According to the Fox 5 report, New York's City Council will vote on a plan of action to handle the rodents later this month.

The plan includes almost 5 million U.S. dollars to mitigate the issue, but Fox 5 reported that experts said the funds are not enough.

Lora Lopez, an IT consultant and lifetime resident of New York, told Xinhua she couldn't even safely walk her dog outside, as her pooch "has almost been bitten" by rats over the past year.

Records show that roughly 300,000 affluent New York residents fled the city in the spring of 2020. New residents have moved in and taken their place.

COVID restrictions forced restaurants to set up tables outside, and some customers "would just throw their trash, like their dirty napkins, on the ground and not pick them up," Lopez said.

"This sudden uptick in poor hygiene was a major reason for the rat infestation," Lopez said.

Rodents, such as rats, can spread many diseases, including rat-bite fever and monkeypox, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Enditem

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