HEALTH NOTES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5092, 23 February 1927, Page 4

HEALTH NOTES.

GREATEST OF PESTS. RATS AND RAT-BORNE DISEASES. (Contributed by the Department of Health). The rat throughout the ages has remained one of the greatest ‘>f household posts. By their dissemination < f disease, particularly bubonic plague, rats present a serious problem in the preventive medicine. They create also great, economic disturbance by their destruction of 'food and property. In Great Britain alone the •consumption and waste of foodstuffs in stacks, granaries mills, warehouses, ami shops the damage t<» buildings, goods and merchandise, the destruction of poultry, and loss 'n other ways due to rats has hem estimated to run into many millions of pounds annually. In New Zealand the financial loss from similar causes is undoubtedly very high. SPREAD OF DISEASE.

During the decade of 1898-1937 plague caused the death of upwards of five million persons in India alone. It has 'from time to time swept Europe, and paralysed trade with appalling loss of life and money. This disease, especially the ccimmon or bubonic form, is spread by the rat*. Rats also transmit infectious jaundice ratbite 'fever, dysentery, food pois ning, and several forms of parasite worms including trichinosis found in measly perk’. Plague is essentially a disease of rats, which only occasionally attacks the human race, and is transmitted to human beings 'front rats by the rat ilea. In tlie early stages of an epidemic there is a heavy mortality amongst the rats the rat fleas leave tihe dead rats, and infest-those rats which remain, and so spread the disease. During an epidemic it is noticed there is a marked increase in the number of fleas frund on each rat. Should - rat die, and there is no other rat available, the rat flea will attack the human being. Fleas breed in dust,, particularly on dry earthen floors. Barefooted persons are more susceptible to plague and the leg glands are those- usually affected. This is one reason' why Europeans suffer more lightly from plague than their native brethren. In New Zealand during the years 1900-3 bubonic plague made its appearance, resulting in a few deaths. In reference to this outbreak in 1900, a considerable mortality among rats was reported by a medical officer of health o'f the Department of Health in the district around Mok’au, which he suspected was of plague origin. It appears that the rats were migrating in a large body from the North ; they suddenly invaded the district in question, and almost as suddenly disappeared but many sick and dead rodents were left in the train of the main band. On examination the rats obtained showed naked-eye and mis.croscopical changes characteristic of plague. In Auckland, where the fatal cases <’f plague occurred, dead rats obtained 'from wharves on examination' showed that they (had suffered from this disease. HABITS AND PREVALENCE.

Rats are very cunning. They will move about in search nf food. They will desert buildings where active measures are taken -for their destruction, ami take up their abode with persons wiho leave them in peace. There they will increase and multiply and use their 'refuge as a base of operations Tor raiding other buildings. They breed very rapidly,, and the number of rats is only limited by

the food supply and opportunities to nest. Few people have any conception of the enormous number in cities and on farms. Although few are seen in tlie daytime, at night they fairly swarm along river fronts and walls, as well as in sewers, stables,., warehouses, markets, and other places where 'r od may Lie found. For instance, in timi, an estate near Chilchester, England, was badly infested with rats, 31,981 were killed by traps, poisons, and ferrets, while it is estimated that tenants at, tlie threshing destroyed fully 5,000 more. RAT DESTRUCTION. Considerable skill and experience is required to carry out an effective rat campaign. The rat is very wary, has a keen sense of smell, and unless precautions are taken he will become aware of tlie 'measures taken for his destruction and avoid them. It Is therefore necessary that such measures should be sufficiently comprehensive to prevent rats finding a harbour outside the area of operation. The campaign shciuld be in the hands of persons sufficiently skilled to make their work effective, such as an official rat-catcher. The most successful attacks’on the rat population have been conducted by a- combined effort under the control of tjhe local authority. In order to successfully cmnbat rats it is necessary to make buildings rat-proof. Rats come to a building primarily for the purpose of obtaining 'h’od. AH stores should be kept in rat-proof cupboards or bins. In large warehouses, hags am] boxes should be se> stored tjiat there is a free space between the packages and the walls. Frequently passages should be made between the groups of packages, and the goods should be stored in frames sufficiently high above the floor to allow free movement for a cat. This space should be kept absolutely clean. All crumbs and refuse should be collected and placed in rat-proof bins. Rats will hide and breed in accumulations o,f old sacks, bins, tins, and cases. They are very fond Of paper hr making their nests. POISONING. The use of pCn’sons should be conlined to granaries, stables, wharves, etc. Most rat poisons are dangerous to children and domestic animals, and greatest care must he exercised in their use. In laying poison baits, care must be taken first that the material is not touched by human hands as rats will not touch 'food that (has been so handled. As far as possible, the grain or meal peculiar t- the country or locality should be used to allay suspicion. - Tallow, cheese, and fish are very popular with the rat family, and these can all be added to tlie baits. Most of the local authorities and chemists stock rat poisons, which can be obtained at a reasonable cost. In the home, traps dogs, and the valiant cat are usually effective in dealing with this pest. Bear in mind.—Rats not only cause great economic loss but spread disease, such as plague. The prevention and suppression of plague and cither rat-borne diseases resolve themselves, into a war upon t.hese rodents. The appointment of official rat-catchers is an important step in this direction, as the introduction o'f plague intii'i country may lead not only to loss of human life, but to a state of grave economic importance owing to strict quarantine restrictions being enforced. A scarcity of food helps all other suppressive methods. Care therefore should be taken as to disposal of remnants of lunches in office buildings and of organic waste generally. A great deal can be done to keep rats in check by making buildings Tatproof.