Invasion of the super-rats
By Raymond Duncan in the Herald, 9 th November 2000
SCOTLAND is being overrun by a booming population of
"super rats" which are immune to poisons and are thriving on mountains of
discarded junk food, experts have claimed.
The warning from the National Pest Technicians Association that the rat population has soared to its highest level in recent memory comes as Scotland mops up after serious flooding. Flooded areas can create an ideal breeding ground for the rodent.
Just weeks ago in Thailand, health ministry officials announced that Weil's disease, which can be spread in water or damp soil through rat urine, was killing more people this year than at any time in almost 60 years.
At least 182 people have died from "leptospirosis", officials there claimed, because heavy flooding had made conditions good for bacteria excreted by rats.
The highly infectious, waterborne microbes can kill if they get into the body through a cut or abrasion. The bugs cause blindness, jaundice, paralysis, and liver and kidney failure if left untreated.
Any case of the disease must be notified to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health in Glasgow.
A consultant epidemiologist there played down the likelihood of any rise in the incidence of Weil's disease because of the flood problems.
He said cases of the disease north of the Border were rare with only "a handful a year". This, he said, could be put down to preventive measures introduced by environmental health authorities.
"We don't see a lot of it," he said, "but there is enough concern about to bring in measures to help prevent people getting it."
Last night, Glasgow City Council said there was a known risk from Weil's disease to people involved in flood prevention work such as sandbagging.
A spokesman said that anyone doing work in and around flood water such as their own staff, members of the emergency services, or Army personnel had to ensure their hands and any cuts were protected by gloves.
In the UK, the disease has become an occupational hazard for sewer workers, farmers, abattoir workers, and fish cutters.
Anglers, too, have been among the 30 or so cases occurring every year in Britain. During the 1990s there were a number of deaths in Britain, one a Glasgow man and another a golfer in Ireland who was urinated on by a rat.
An angler from Bristol died after pricking his finger on a fish hook on the River Avon while a leading pollution scientist died after paddling in a stretch of water in the North-west of England.
Last year the bacteria were found in high concentrations at two stations in Glasgow's subway system.
Yesterday the NPTA said the number of rat infestations reported to local authorities north of the Border last year rose by 26%, 8% more than the national average.
It called on the Government to order an urgent investigation before the "burgeoning" rat population got out of control.
Mr John Davison, association secretary, said that rats, which now outnumber people in the UK, were building up a resistance to the anti-coagulants introduced after rodents grew immune to warfarin, the first-generation poison.
He said that more powerful poisons were available that killed rats immediately. However, when rats saw the effects, they learned to avoid the bait and the knowledge spread quickly through the rest of the rat population.
"Rats are very smart animals, which is why they are still here."
His view has been backed by the environmental health department in Edinburgh, which indicated that rats were developing tolerance to poison.
The association maintained global warming was also boosting rat numbers because mild winters killed fewer rodents and made for more annual breeding cycles. Other factors included the growth of fast-food outlets, which increased the amount of rubbish on streets.
It said councils and the general public were also tolerating poorer standards of hygiene and rubbish, leading to more rubbish being dumped on open spaces.
Another concern was the modern use of plastic building products like air bricks, pipework, and drainage chambers, which rats could gnaw through and get into homes and buildings.
The NPTA also blamed the soaring rat population on a big reduction in funding for rodent control programmes by water authorities following privatisation.
Meanwhile, pet-rescue organisations say pet owners are dumping scores of rats on the streets.
They are being contacted almost daily by people looking to rid themselves of the rodents.
Experts say many are breaking the law by freeing the animals, leaving them to colonise and roam about towns.
- Nov 9
© The Herald, 9 th November, 2000
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