Canary Islands Courthouse Plagued by Rats and Cockroaches

A Canary Islands trade union, Intersindical Canaria, has complained about rats and cockroaches in the courthouse at 8 Santo Domingo Street. This building is home to the new Court of First Instance in Puerto de la Cruz, which now handles all the cases that used to be dealt with by the town's old court system.

Staff working in the building have written to the regional government, saying urgent action is needed because of the terrible smell. They say a pest control company laid poison and some pests have died, but the smell of urine and decay is still overwhelming. "It's impossible to work in these unsanitary conditions," they wrote, asking for a deep clean so they can do their jobs properly. "The situation is getting worse every day."

To back up their complaint, they've provided photos showing rat droppings. One worker even showed a cockroach she killed with her work cup.

The letter also praises the cleaning staff at the courthouse, saying they don't have the resources to control the infestation.

Intersindical's complaint points out that rats can spread diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, and bubonic plague through their urine, droppings, saliva, or parasites like fleas and ticks. These diseases can cause symptoms from fevers and pains to serious kidney problems and complications for pregnant women.