Don’t feed the rat infestation

PETALING JAYA: The main contributing factor to rat breeding is abundant food waste, a public health expert has pointed out.

Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, an epidemiologist, said no city in the world was free from rats including in developed countries.

However, he said Tokyo, New York, London and Singapore practised very good food waste management and rats were hardly seen on the surface.

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“The rats have to scavenge for food in underground sewage systems over there. Here, while we also have underground sewage systems, there is also an abundance of food on the surface.

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“So we have to holistically address the food waste issue if we are serious about addressing the population of rats,” he said in response to cases of leptospirosis recorded in Melaka and Kedah recently after people visited parks.

On how contamination could take place at outdoor parks, Dr Lokman said besides rodents, many wild animals might also carry Leptospira, which could contaminate waterways.

These include dogs, cattle, sheep, pigs and horses, but the most important one associated with human infection is the brown rat (rattus norvegicus), he said.

While there is a dilution factor when the animals urinate, an individual might be unlucky to be “at the wrong place at the wrong time” and be exposed to higher concentrations of it in the water, he added.

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“The risk of contamination increases with increase of reservoir hosts. In the context of rats, abundance of food leads to an increase in their population which in turn increases the risk of contamination and infection.

“If you have a cut or abrasion, the risk of infection is higher and leptospirosis can be very dangerous. Although most infections are mild, a small proportion of patients can develop severe infections with organ failure and death,” he added.

Public Health physician Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said prevention was crucial and one should opt for recreational areas that are well maintained and with no slow-moving streams.

“Do not get into the stream if you are already unwell or have skin cuts or injuries. Make sure you get treated after visiting such places as a precautionary measure.

“As for operators, they must keep premises and surrounding areas clean and free from rats as well as other pests.

There should be monitoring of staff members and visitors with leptospirosis symptoms or signs, he added.

In Kedah, a total of 105 leptospirosis cases were recorded from January to June 8, with one fatality. A recreational area was temporarily closed after two visitors were suspected of contracting leptospirosis and treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the state.

It was also reported that 33 people from a school in Jasin, Melaka, were suspected of being infected by rat urine after visiting a pool earlier this month.