Health and hygiene experts tackling an outbreak of the dengue virus in Brazil were shocked when they entered this woman’s home and found her living alongside over 100 rats and three tonnes of rubbish.

The unnamed 55-year-old was taken away from her rat-infested home in the neighbourhood of Morro das Pedras in the south-eastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte on 12th March.

She was removed from her house by the urban cleaning authorities during routine inspections as part of an operation to combat the dengue virus.

According to the municipal authorities, some three tonnes of rubbish were removed from her house, which lacked water and electricity.

The woman reportedly lived alone and will now receive help from social services.

As of 11th March, 297 cases of dengue fever had been confirmed in Belo Horizonte, with 785 suspected cases awaiting results.

Symptoms include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pains, joint pains and a skin rash.

Although dengue fever is not spread by rats, they do spread other diseases and experts were eradicating the rodents and clearing rubbish after her removal into care.

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