A hovel in Olhão, home to a mother and daughter, also is home to a colony of sizeable rats which on Sunday attacked the occupants who had to be hospitalised.
An elderly lady, 85, lived surrounded by garbage, feces, urine and rotting food. She was the first to be attacked by the rats and first to go to Faro hospital for treatment.
Two days later her bedridden daughter, 65, also was attacked by rodents and was taken to hospital to be treated for bites.
There is a third occupant, a 51-year-old and schizophrenic who appeared bite-free but possibly was left unsupervised at the property in Rua da Liberdade.
A neighbour who heard the screams and went to help said, "I had to wear a mask and gloves. The smell was very bad, there were fleas, and there were rats running through the house. They are huge, more like rabbits."
The Social Security department claimed that the elderly woman "refuses any kind of support" and agreed that the woman and her daughter clearly are unable to look after themselves or their property.
Social workers said they have tried to perform various home visits in May and June 2014, but were refused entry. The elderly woman also rejected "any form of support for household members.”
Social Security reported the case to the prosecutor, "as Social Security does not have the power to intervene.”
Olhão council confirmed that the elderly woman, a retired teacher, has refused help and that this "can only be given by an order from the Public Ministry and the Health Authority."
Another neighbour said that when the old woman comes out of hospital, she will go home to continuing misery and someone needs to act now as the situation has been dragging on for four years.
It is not clear whether the man has been taken into care. The ambulance came as did the police but it is not possible to ascertain whether he is at home or in care.
Locals now are questioning a social security system that has allowed this to happen in modern Portugal and why staff are prevented from intervening where clearly there are mental helth concerns as well as an infestation of rodents, and desperatly unhygienic conditions.
There also are calls for the council to at least eradicate the rodents, then clean and disinfect the property to ensure hygienic conditions while the womens’ bites heal.
