ON the very first day of the school term earlier this month, two rats jumped out of a cupboard in the staff room at the San Fernando Secondary Comprehensive School. The school was subsequently closed for more than a week for fear of the the deadly rat-borne disease Leptospirosis, of which there has been increased reports of locally. Earlier this year in May, The Chaguanas Borough Council undertook a massive clean-up campaign in Chaguanas and its suburbs after numerous complaints by residents about an unusual number of rats roaming the area. In the drains of our nation, rats scuttle and splash, gorging themselves on garbage. From Woodland to Warrenville, residents say that these rodents are always on the prowl. A common sight is the slow stroll of rats in the streets, with bulging stomachs. One resident in San Juan disclosed that she found two huge rats playing with her child’s ball in her gallery. One shudders to think if she not witnessed that and allowed her child to play with the ball afterwards. In Lengua Village on the outskirts of Princes Town, another resident claimed there were rats living in the trees! -- have these pesky rodents become so overpopulated in suburban areas that they have now turned for refuge in the trees? Some Santa Cruz residents are complaining of huge rats in their ceilings, with rumbling and fighting all night, making it hard to get some sleep. Students in the Curepe area have to face these enormous scurrying creatures every day, on the streets and splashing in the drains, as they walk in the environs close to the University of the West Indies (St. Augustine) campus. Luckily, some areas like Westmoorings, Maraval and Diego Martin are not as badly affected as the areas previously mentioned. However, areas where there is a readily available source of water like drains, rivers or ponds, are the ones more susceptible, as rats need a source of water to thrive. Many have seen rats running out of burning cane fields, around harvest time and have been amazed at the numbers. How many times have we seen dozens of rats floating and swimming when there are floods? What can be done about this apparent rat epidemic? Regional Health Corporations are currently distributing rat-poison to householders, but this may not be sufficient to alleviate the problem. Many people are plagued by these rodents which devour foodstuffs and destroy property. The losses caused by rats can be divided into three categories: losses to foodstuff, damage caused by gnawing and contamination. These losses can amount to a lot of money. According to Collier’s Encyclopedia, the rat destroys a whopping ten times more that it eats! The purchase of items to deal with the escalating rat population is now on almost everyone’s shopping list. One only has to stand for a few minutes in the rat poison section of the local supermarket to notice the increasing number of people making rat poison purchases. Most supermarket owners were quite tight-lipped when asked if they have noticed a rise in the purchase of rat poison and anti-rat paraphernalia. Their reticence is understandable. Many profits are to be made in the sale of these items. There are many people who agree that a rat infestation currently threatening the people of our country. Major factors to be considered are the many food-outlets who are guilty of improper disposal of garbage and homes and poultry businesses which simply wash animal entrails among other improper waste into drains. The irregular and half-hearted cleaning of drains is another major factor. Many people throughout the island have shared the similar observance that “drains are cleaned but the garbage is left at the side of the road in dirty piles, only to be washed away again into the drains.” This point should be of grave concern to those responsible, as this unattended cycle could very well be fueling the rat population.  Joseph A. M. Berment-McDowald, Managing Director of Omega Pest Control Company Limited, located in El Socorro, said factors to be seriously considered were the high number of food-outlets and poor garbage disposal. As a leading expert in Integrated Pest Management, Berment-McDowald disclosed that many businesses were faced with the problem but preferred to leave it untreated. “The established food-chains would have to pay to alleviate this problem, rather than the small food businesses,” he said. He also shared an interesting fact -- “a rat can pass through any space greater than one-quarter- inch”. He revealed that gaps between doors, doorframes and openings in walls and the like could also be a factor in the increased rat population. With this in mind, many homes are virtually leaving their doors open, as rats can easily slip through crevices, the space under doors, through windows and drain holes to name a few places. The rats found in Trinidad and Tobago are limited to three types. The Norway Rat, also called the Brown, Common, Wharf, House or Sewer Rat -- which is large and robust. The Roof Rat, also called the Gray-Bellied, Ship, House or Black Rat which looks more sleek and graceful -- it is much smaller than a Norway Rat. Then there is the House Mouse which is quite small and slender. These rats have poor eyesight and are colour-blind as well, but it should be noted that they have an excellent sense of smell, taste, hearing and touch -- which is why these rodents often do not consume the rat poison left for them. They also have an excellent sense of balance and very sensitive whiskers or ‘vibrissae’ on the nose which are tactile sensors. These whiskers give them the uncanny ability to travel next to vertical surfaces. A chilling fact to consider is that rats multiply rapidly and breed the entire year. The young are born only 21 days after mating. The average number in a litter is eight, but there may be as few as three or as many as twelve! A consolation is that rats have a lifespan of nine to 12 months. It should be noted also, that few cats will attack rats, so having a cat does not ensure a rat-free household. Garnet Sawh, an inspector at Flick Pest Control located in Aranguez, extolled many facts that would make one cringe. Rats carry viruses and bacteria and they must constantly chew to wear down incisor teeth which grow continuously. They are creatures which constantly groom themselves, so the shedding of tiny rat-germ-covered hairs on surfaces is something else to be considered. Now many rats have fleas and this can pose a serious threat as these fleas can also become vectors for disease. Rats are carriers of Typhus, Jaundice and Rabies and are harbingers of diseases that are fatal. One can have a 50 percent chance of survival from contracting the Bubonic Plague from the bite of a rat. Rat Bite Fever or Haverhill Fever, Trichinosis, Salmonellosis, Leptospirosis or Weil’s disease can be contracted through rats’ excrement and urine. If a rat bite is not properly disinfected and treated, secondary infection can occur and the fatality rate for untreated cases can be up to 10 percent. These diseases are accompanied by abdominal cramps, diarrhea, headache, high fever and vomiting -- common symptoms that one can dismiss as insignificant. Another rat-spread disease -- the Seoul Virus, causes hemorrhagic fever and has a mortality rate of one percent or less. Many people are oblivious to the dangers that these rodents present. Flick Pest Control is currently implementing measures to curb the rat population. They will soon be offering a programme where one can become a certified Pest Control Technician, after having studied Integrated Pest Management. So what can we as citizens do to help alleviate the problem? Rat infestation can be prevented by rat proofing, rat shelter removal and food source removal. Sanitation is necessary. Garbage should be stored in bins which are covered and inaccessible to rats. One Woodbrook resident shared the experience of a rat growing to a gigantic size due to its feasting on dog chow left in a bowl and being constantly replenished. In Debe, another shared the experience of rats devouring bags of chicken feed. The proper storage of food is important. Individuals need to be more vigilant to avoid providing food sources to these quickly-multiplying rodents. A pile of old newspapers that is building up in a corner can provide a comfortable nesting place for rats. Old junk in boxes and other garbage needs to be disposed of properly. Whatever crevices through which rats can pass need to be blocked. Proper sanitation helps, if one is to become free of the rat -- paraphernalia purchases like the glue-traps, rat-traps and various rat poisons are a good way to start. There are many ways in which people deal with being plagued by rats. Many attest to the use of Carbaryl (Sevin) Powder, a white powdered insecticide chemical, sprinkled around the home. Others prefer Brumoline, a poison which looks like pieces of hard pink bread which is infused with the sex hormone of rats to ensure consumption. The advantage of this lies in the fact that it alleviates the problem of the stench associated with dead rats, as it literally dries up the rat. Then there are rat traps of all shapes, sizes and prices. These traps use a spring-loaded mechanism with bait to trap and kill the animal when it tries to access the bait, but in this instance, one has the dilemma of having to remove the dead rat from the trap. Klerat and Rodine C are other great sellers and these pellets operate by the poison being activated when the rat drinks water. A glue trap is another option, but then one has to deal with these pesky rodents being caught alive and then having to kill them. The authorities need to address this situation before the rat population spirals out of control. How many more will die from Leptospirosis and other disease that these pests carry before the rat problem is taken seriously? For those facing a rat problem, visit the closest Ministry of Health County Medical office and lodge a complaint. A public health inspector can come to assess the problem. At the San Juan Laventille Regional Corporation office, located in the MTS Building in Aranguez, public health inspector Lalman Ramkissoon said people can make a report if they see a business place polluting the environment. The culprits can be charged. There are avenues for us to deal with this problem. It is up to us to do something before it’s too late.