Rats at Thai health ministry prompt national anti-rodent campaign

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BANGKOK, Thailand - Health officials in Thailand have launched a national campaign against rats - starting with their own offices.

In the past two days, nearly 50 rats were caught inside the Health Ministry compound in Bangkok, prompting Friday's announcement of a national anti-rodent campaign.

The infestation of the ministry responsible for promoting health and hygiene shows just how pervasive Thailand's rat problem has become, Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsup said in a statement.

The ministry has instructed more than 10,000 health offices, including hospitals and public clinics, to follow its lead and start eradicating rats by setting out traps and practising better hygiene.

Thawat Suntrajarn, of the health ministry's Disease Control Department says the rats have become a nuisance, biting wires, cables, documents and destroy office equipment.

The ministry hopes to reduce the number of rats before Thailand's rainy season, which typically starts in May, when standing water can become contaminated with the bacterial diseases rats can carry.

© The Canadian Press, 2008