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The Star Online: Metro: Central

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:50 AM PDT

Tuesday March 12, 2013

Thirty-three SK Methodist (ACS) pupils who scored 4As and above for their Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination in 2012 each received a plaque, certificate and a dictionary.

The students are now in Form One at the neighbouring SM Methodist (ACS) in Jalan Raya Barat, Klang. Principal Komalavalli Ambikadevi Selvadurai (back row, fourth from left) said she hoped the recognition would encourage the students to strive towards academic excellence. Port Klang Authority chairman Datuk Teh Kim Poo (back row, centre), who attended the event, advised other students to be hardworking to achieve good results.

Growing number of rats getting traders and residents worried

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 04:35 AM PDT

IF YOU eat at a hawker stall by the roadside, chances are you would be accompanied by a rodent or three.

That is the risk we take when we venture out to the streets to enjoy some local delicacies but do you know that it could be dangerous to the health?

A survey carried out by Yayasan Wanita Islam (Yati) from August last year to February this year showed that out of 150 hawkers surveyed in the Klang Valley, 95% of them agreed that there was an increase in rodent population.

Yati president Najwa Abd Aziz said the rats had even been seen running around during the day and many stall owners had complained about the damage done by the rodents to their goods.

"The influx of rats is at a worrying level, especially with the various diseases associated with the pest. Leptospirosis, which is transmitted by rat urine, is a deadly disease," she said.

Najwa noted that Kampung Baru seems to have the largest rat population and this could be linked to the many food stalls in the area.

"Diners should be careful where they eat. Check the premises for cleanliness before sitting down," she said.

Najwa added that the public should be wary when visiting wet markets where food was in abundance and cleanliness had been taken for granted as these could be rat-breeding grounds.

"Rat urine is odourless and colourless so it is hard to detect. All raw food must be washed thoroughly before being consumed," she said.

Apart from dining spots in the Klang Valley, recreational areas such as Hulu Langat had also been identified as having a large number of rats.

"This is because visitors leave their rubbish behind when they are done with their picnics. This attracts more rats to the area, which can serve as their breeding grounds," she said.

Najwa also urged the Government and local authorities to issue guidelines on hygiene to reduce the rat population in the city.

With the growing rodent population, the increase in rat-related diseases are inevitable.

In the past decade, an increasing number of reported cases and outbreaks of leptospirosis have resulted in significant numbers of deaths.

The Health Ministry reported 2,268 cases in 2011 compared to 1,976 cases in 2010. Mortalities were also on a steady rise from 22 deaths in 2006 to 69 deaths in 2010, though the number of cases dropped to 55 in 2011.

Leptospirosis was gazetted as a notifiable disease on Dec 9, 2010, under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.

Sungai Buloh Hospital infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Christopher Lee said recreational areas near water sources were highly likely to attract rodents.

"When visitors leave their rubbish behind, it will attract rats. These rats will excrete a large number of leptospire in their urine, thus contaminating nearby bodies of water and even the soil," he said.

Dr Lee added that although there was a possibility of getting infected through ingesting contaminated food or beverages, most patients were usually infected through skin contact.

Because of that, he said leptospirosis outbreaks occur especially during floods.

"When floods happen, rats will drown, thus releasing urine into the water," he said.

He advised parents to keep an eye on their children during the rainy season.

Dr Lee also advised rescue workers and volunteers to take extra precautions by wearing rubber boots to keep the water from touching their skin as it is one of the ways the bacteria could spread.

Although the disease commonly originates from water sources, especially in recreational areas, dirty restaurants are also one of the contributing factors.

"Areas such as hawker stalls and night markets should be cleaned thoroughly after closing to avoid rats clamouring for the rubbish left behind," said Dr Lee.

He said leptospirosis had a broad range of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe haemorrhagic manifestations and multi-organ failures.

"Symptoms such as fever, cough and body ache will go away after three days. However, they should go for a check-up if they do not recover within three days," said Dr Lee.

He explained that in some severe cases, patients would be experiencing jaundice as well as kidney and liver failure, which would require intensive care and dialysis treatment.

"When they are admitted, we will look into their occupational history and recent recreational activities for the past one or two weeks," he said.

Dr Lee said although severe cases were rare in the country, the public should not take the matter lightly.

Meanwhile, various local authorities in the Klang Valley have been embarking on all-out campaigns to weed out the rodents.

In Ampang, the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) organises a rat-catching programme every weekend with residents' associations in its jurisdiction.

MPAJ public relations officer Norhayati Ahmad said a token of RM2 would be given for every rat caught by residents in selected areas.

"MPAJ will provide chemicals or bleach to dispose of the rats," she said.

Norhayati added that MPAJ carried out 15 operations in 2012, catching 2,510 rats.

Besides that, MPAJ also organised the Clean Zone programme in Pandan Indah, Bandar Baru Ampang and Taman Melawati.

"This is a co-operative effort to keep the places clean. The public should take care of the cleanliness of their environment by throwing rubbish in the designated places and use close-lidded rubbish bins," Norhayati concluded.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Isnin, 11 Mac 2013