VIDEO: Kids Seen Playing With Rats At Popular San Francisco Playground

Parents are concerned after seeing their kids play with rats at one of San Francisco's busiest playgrounds.

The video below shows 7-year-old Jacob Ortega and his brother laughing while chasing a white rat at the popular playground.

According to KGO, the rat infestation is happening at the Hellen Diller Civic Center playgrounds just behind San Francisco City Hall.

"We saw a big, white, rat. Came out twice to look at us. It was about 8 inches long, albino white, and pink nose," Chad Avellai of Oakland told KGO.

"I'm trying to look for a lot of rats," said Jacob Ortega.

While the kids may be having fun with the little creatures, doctors say there is a cause for concern.

"Rats can transmit quite a few infections," Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of UCSF told KGO.

Dr. Chin-Hong says there's no need to stop sending kids to the playground due to rats, but he does urge parents and guardians to use caution.

"Number one wash your hands. Instruct kids not to put their hands in their mouth after running around a potentially rat infested area," he said.

According to KGO, the effects of certain rat illnesses include fever, diarrhea, rash, shortness of breath, and a cough.