GRAPHIC WARNING!

New York City officials are springing into action to help the man caught on video eating a dead rat because they think his health might be in danger, TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson for City Hall in Manhattan tells us … they’re reaching out to the Health Department to help locate the unidentified man, who was filmed noshing on the rodent while sitting on a sidewalk in The Bronx.

An eyewitness shot the footage Saturday and posted it on social media, which left everyone who saw it horrified, including the woman who filmed it. That woman could be heard gasping as the man bit into the rodent.

Kathleen Corradi, NYC’s Director of Rodent Mitigation, warns that rats can be harmful to your health because they can transport pathogens, which are organisms that cause diseases.

She also says rodents can carry ectoparasites, which are leeches that infest the outer layer of your skin.

In addition, Corradi asks that people stay away from rats and their urine and droppings whenever possible, while also wearing personal protective equipment if they encounter a dead rodent.