Evidence that rodent control strategies ought to be improved to enhance food security and reduce the risk of rodent-borne illnesses within subsistence farming villages in the plague-endemic West Nile region, Uganda

Abstract

Rodents pose serious threats to human health and economics, particularly in developing countries where the animals play a dual role as pests: they are reservoirs of human pathogens, and they inflict damage levels to stored products sufficient to cause food shortages. To assess the magnitude of the damage caused by rodents to crops, their level of contact with humans, and to better understand current food storage and rodent control practices, we conducted a survey of 37 households from 17 subsistence farming villages within the West Nile region of Uganda. Our survey revealed that rodents cause both pre- and post-harvest damage to crops. Evidence of rodent access to stored foods was reported in conjunction with each of the reported storage practices. Approximately half of the respondents reported that at least one family member had been bitten by a rat within the previous three months. Approximately two-thirds of respondents practiced some form of rodent control in their homes. The abundance of rodents was similar within homes that practiced or did not practice rodent control. Together, our results show that current efforts are inadequate for effectively reducing rodent abundance in homes.

Identification of Risk Factors for Plague in the West Nile Region of Uganda

“…Mirroring results reported from a previous survey in other villages in the West Nile Region, 46 our study showed that most villagers recognize rodents in their homes to be a concern and are using available methods to reduce their abundances. However, based on survey responses and the abundance of rats trapped within homes, the existing methods are clearly inadequate for eliminating rodents entirely or, perhaps, even for reducing numbers in any significant way.…”

“…However, their use has decreased considerably largely because of the risk of food theft. 39,46 Interestingly, although granary usage was reportedly low, our study showed that it was more common in case villages than in control villages. It is unclear whether case villages simply have more stored food than control villages, thus justifying granary use, or if granaries, which are constructed of locally available materials and often are not rodent proof, may concentrate rodents in the home environment and contribute to plague risk.…”

“…However, based on survey responses and the abundance of rats trapped within homes, the existing methods are clearly inadequate for eliminating rodents entirely or, perhaps, even for reducing numbers in any significant way. In the absence of environmental modifications, such as improved home construction, better food storage methods, or implementation of an intensive rodent control program, 4,8,44,46 significant reduction of rodent burdens inside of homes is unlikely. Given the limited economic resources available in these subsistence farming villages, such improvements are unlikely to become widespread in the foreseeable future.…”

At Home with Mastomys and Rattus: Human-Rodent Interactions and Potential for Primary Transmission of Lassa Virus in Domestic Spaces

“…Trapping and poisoning are done in a reactive rather than preventive fashion and mainly undertaken through individual rather than collective initiative. This is likely to have minimal effects due to rapid recolonization as opposed to preventive and coordinated control at household, compound, or village level 51–53. The frequent requests for help or advice on rodent control received during fieldwork was an indication of the overwhelmingly pernicious influence rodents had on everyday life and the difficulty of controlling them.…”

Use of Insecticide Delivery Tubes for Controlling Rodent-Associated Fleas in a Plague Endemic Region of West Nile, Uganda

“…Most residents of this region live on incomes which fall below the poverty line and rely on subsistence agriculture to make a living (Lakwo et al 2008). Poor housing construction allows easy access to stored foods and hinders efforts to eliminate rodents from the home environment (Eisen et al 2013, 2014). As a result, recent plague control efforts have focused largely on reducing fleas (both on- and off-host) within huts.…”