RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Rat Bites Subway Rider at Station

New York transit workers said a rat bit a subway rider on the foot while she was waiting for a train at a downtown station.

Transit sources told the New York Daily News the woman, who was described as in her 20s, was sitting on a bench at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station at about 9:30 a.m. Monday when the rodent ran up and bit into the flesh of her foot.

"She was pretty frantic and upset," one transit worker said. "You could actually see the bite."

Authorities said the woman was treated at New York Downtown Hospital and released.

Officials with Transport Workers Union Local 100 said rats are becoming more common at stations because of infrequent garbage collection and poor seals on trash storage rooms.

City transport officials declined to comment, the Daily News said.

Source: DailyNews.com

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

HantaVirus Found in Trapped Rodents

Six rodents trapped during routine monitoring in the last week in North County and East County have tested positive for the potentially-deadly hantavirus.

Infected rodents rarely pose a danger to people if they are in the wild and there has been just one non-fatal human case in the county, in 2004. But people can inhale hantavirus by stirring up rodent droppings, then get sick and even die. There is no treatment, vaccine or cure for hantavirus infections, which are deadly in 38 percent of cases.

“People should never sweep up or vacuum rodent droppings or nesting material when they find it,” said Jack Miller, director of the County Department of Environmental Health. “Instead, they should ventilate closed areas for at least 30 minutes, and then carefully use bleach or a full-strength disinfectant before removing them.”

The best way people can prevent the disease is to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds by sealing holes larger than the size of a dime, County officials said.

Hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with flu-like symptoms but can grow into severe breathing difficulties and even death.

The rodents that tested positive during the last week included: two deer mice from Campo; one deer mouse each from Carlsbad and Escondido; one harvest mouse from Oceanside and a vole from Carlsbad. Thirty-seven rodents have tested positive for hantavirus in the county this year, compared to 21 in 2010.

Source: Associated Press

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

RESTAURANT TO BE SHUT DOWN OVER RODENT DROPPINGS

Call it a big but disgusting find for kitchen cops in Brownsville.

An eatery is busted with rodent droppings “all over” the kitchen area.

The New Courthouse Coffee Shop on 964 East Harrison scored 38 demerits.

It was the dirtiest kitchen featured this week by the Food Patrol.

Food handlers were caught wearing open-toe shoes and not wearing hairnets or washing hands.

A health inspector noted on the report how there were “a lot of rodent droppings all over the kitchen.”

Dirty photos of the kitchen area showed trails of droppings on the food prep table and torn bags of food believed to be from rodents.

The Food Patrol confronted the owner’s sister who was present during the health inspection.

Gracie Gutierrez admitted the kitchen was dirty.

She blamed a worker for not doing her “job.”

Food Patrol fans who saw the dirty photos called for the coffee shop which serves food to judges and attorneys to be shutdown.

Source = Valley Central.com

George Williams
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Prisoner to Sue Over Rodent Bite

Even more of a reason to stay out of jail………

A judge in New York has allowed a man to proceed with a lawsuit claiming a rodent bit him on the penis while he was being held in prison.

District Judge Arthur Spatt denied Nassau County's motion to dismiss Peter Solomon's lawsuit, which claims officials did not take adequate steps to ensure the safety of inmates at the jail in East Meadow.

Solomon, who was jailed on a charge of menacing his wife in 2007, claims he was bitten by a rat or "similar rodent".

His 2008 lawsuit claimed the county was indifferent to rodent complaints from prisoners.

The county contended there was no evidence of rodents, but the judge said Solomon raised enough issues about pest control for the suit to proceed.

Source = Googlenews

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

EHS POSITION…..This is very good news as rodent control products in the hands of unlicensed and untrained consumers do pose a significant risk to children and pets. Too often we at EHS have come across rodenticide thrown in areas accessible to children and/or pets because the homeowner or business owner decided to save money and try and treat themselves. We at EHS fully support any measure that aims to protect the general public and believe that rodent plus pest control should be left in the hands of professionals.

BREAKING NEWS: EPA ANNOUNCES INTENT TO CANCEL CONSUMER RODENTICIDE PRODUCTS

In a special NPMA Closer Look e-mailed to you last Thursday, we indicated that EPA intended to make an announcement regarding the implementation of its rodenticide risk mitigation decision.

This morning, EPA announced that it intends to initiate cancellation proceedings against consumer products that do not comply with the Agency's 2008 risk mitigation decision. The companies that are subject to the cancellation proceedings are referenced in EPA's press release, which can be accessed by clicking http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/1e5ab1124055f3b28525781f0042ed40/5689a230c1490219852578a80053a4b7!OpenDocument

We have also been advised that the Agency is developing guidance to address issues raised by the pest management, food and other industries.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA