Plagued
by rats
CMC declares March Rat Control Month as the rodent
population in the capital city hits an all time high, as does rat fever,
the disease they spread:
by Maneshka Borham
 The words ‘Black Death’, despite being a centuries’ old health
catastrophe, can still strike fear in one’s heart. Wiping out villages
and cities, it is considered to be one of the most devastating pandemics
in human history. The plague, which spread throughout the Mediterranean
and Europe, killing an estimated 75 to 200 million people and wiping out
30–60 per cent of Europe’s total population at the time, was caused by
oriental rat fleas living on black rats. The rats were regular
passengers on merchant ships at the time.
With the ability to reproduce at a fast pace, rats though disregarded
by people, can be carriers of extremely dangerous diseases causing
various health and social issues in society. And Colombo, it appears, is
in the cusp of a massive rat infestation, compelling the Colombo
Municipal Council (CMC) to declare this month Rat Control Month
According to Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni, Chief Medical Officer of the CMC,
the rat population in the city of Colombo has begun to rise along with
the reported cases of Leptospirosis, also called rat fever. “Rats are
well known disease vectors and are a vital element to the spread of
communicable diseases,” he says, explaining that it was these factors
that had compelled the CMC to declare March the rat control month for
2016. This, he says, will be extended if the need arises.
The concerns of the CMC are reflected in the numbers put together by
the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, which records 930 cases
of Leptospirosis being reported from around the island from January 2016
to date.
Rat sighting
CMC has no actual data of the rat population in the city. However,
Dr. Wijayamuni says since of recent they have been receiving a large
number of calls on rat sighting in public place, houses and shops during
day times, along with complaints of serious rat bites and damages to
property caused by these rodents.
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Step to control Leptospirosis
Dr. Paba Palihawadana, Director
Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, says the
Ministry of Health has taken great measures to control
Leptospirosis island-wide. “We distribute antibiotics needed
to the farmers and hold awareness campaigns on preventive
methods, especially among farmers in rural areas, schools
and in clinics,” she explains, adding that they had also
trained doctors in rural hospitals on Leptospirosis
management.
Dr. Palihawadana attributes failure of the
farmers and the rural public to take the medication given
free of charge as one of the main reasons for the spread of
the disease. “People in rural areas who may have damaged
skin or cuts should avoid treading into mud or water without
proper protection, while people in urban areas should ensure
garbage and food waste is disposed of properly,” she
advices. According to her, while the Ministry of Health has
gone to great lengths in controlling Rat fever from
spreading, awareness among the people and the changing of
attitudes are vital to manage the disease in Sri Lanka.
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“This has alarmed us and now we are concerned about the spread of
plague, Leptospirosis, Rabies and Tetanus caused by rats” he says.
According to Wijayamuni, the sudden emergence of the rat issues in
Colombo are mainly due to the development work carried out in the city,
which have forced the rats out of their natural habitat of canals and
sewer lines. He explains that rats have now moved into congested
residential areas such as Maradana, Dematagoda and Borella.
He also attributes the non-availability of rat control pesticides not
being available for two years due to the deaths of two children who had
consumed rat pesticides as contributory factors towards the expanding
rat population.
The rat population, the CMC has determined, has increased most in the
areas surrounding the Colombo Harbour, Manning Market, Fort, Pettah and
its Cross streets, Maradana, Borella, Wellawatta, and in low income
settlements along poorly maintained high rise buildings.
Reflecting the widespread nature of rat infestation, rat fever has
been detected in all parts of the island, with large number of reported
from Kalutara, Galle, Anuradhapura and Moneragala this year.
Anuradhapura alone has recorded 117 cases this year.
Emerging problem
Dr. Wijayamuni admits to rat fever being a rural disease, mainly
contracted by farmers who toil in the fields where there can be a high
probability of exposure. However, he says it has now become an emerging
problem in the city of Colombo. “It is spread through the urine of the
rats,” he says, warning that when the bacteria enters through a wound or
cut of a susceptible host such as a human, it can cause severe kidney
damage resulting in eventual death if not treated in a timely manner.
The main symptoms of rat fever include loss of appetite along with
joint pains, muscle pains and blood in the urine. According to Dr.
Wijayamuni, when the disease is not detected early, the resultant damage
to the kidneys can prove fatal to the patients. Hence early detection is
vital, he says.
Highlighting the need for a good pest control system along with a
practical food waste and garbage disposal system for Sri Lanka, Dr.
Wijayamuni says an increased rat population is an indication of poor
hygienic and socio economic standards of a city as well as a country.
He says the CMC needs the cooperation of the people as the issue
cannot be tackled by the CMC alone by distributing poison. “This is just
a temporary measure, and if people do not use proper waste disposal
systems, the issue can re-arise” he says adding that the public need to
take rats and diseases caused by them seriously, just as they take
precautions against mosquitoes, in order to reduce man and rat contact.
 Dr.
Sudath Damsinghe, Director of University College of Health Studies, Sri
Jayawardenapura Hospital, says along with fever, loss of appetite, joint
and muscle pains, a person can turn yellow and suffer from painful
urination.
Patient history
Leptospirosis diagnosis, according to Dr. Damsinghe, is done through
blood tests and by observing patient history, his background to see
possible exposure to rats as well as symptoms. He believes it is mainly
farmers in rural areas who are at risk of contracting rat fever.
“People can be cured if detected early by giving them medicines
required to destroy the bacteria that has entered the body, ” he says,
adding that however, getting medical advice late can result in severe
damage to the kidneys and even cause death. People of all ages are
vulnerable to the disease.
In 2013 there just nine cases of Leptospirosis reported from Colombo.
The number grew to 12 in 2014 and 2015, but seven cases have already
been reported in the first two months of 2016. The increase, according
to Dr. Damsinghe has alarmed the CMC enough to take drastic action to
control the rat population in the city.
Dr. Damsinghe is of the opinion that to safeguard oneself from rat
fever, individuals should be mindful of exposure to rats, especially
farmers. “They can take antibiotics to prevent contracting the disease,”
he says, adding that this is the best preventive method. |
