Combat rats: Food & Environmental Hygiene Department Community Medicine Consultant Dr Ho Yuk-yin (right) and Pest Control Officer Yuen Ming-chi share with the media tips on rodent control.

To combat a rise in cases of rodent-borne diseases, and raise public awareness, a four-week campaign targeting rodent infestation blackspots at shopping centres will be launched from December 20.

A total of 39 rodent-borne diseases, including 17 spotted fever cases, were reported in the first 11 months of this year.  

During the campaign, Food & Environmental Hygiene Department staff will conduct rodent surveys, education activities, health talks and rodent control around shopping centres.

The department's Community Medicine Consultant Dr Ho Yuk-yin, who is also the Chairman of the Inter-departmental Working Group on Pest Prevention & Control, said rodents were harmful as they could cause physical damage to property, bite people who were not phyically able, and spread diseases such as plague, urban typhus, leptospirosis, hantaviral infection, scrub typhus and spotted fever.

17 spotted fever cases reported

In the first 11 months of this year, five urban typhus cases, six leptospirosis cases, two hantaviral infections, nine scrub typhus cases and 17 spotted fever cases were reported.

"This shows that rodent-borne diseases are local threats and the community should stay alert at all times," Dr Ho said.

He said this year's campaign would focus on the facilities and structures of food premises, flowerbeds, storerooms, light-wells, common areas and refuse chambers in and around shopping centres, which are common rodent haunts. It will also cover rear and side lanes with rodent problems.

He appealed to shopping centre and food shop management to prevent and control rodent problems, improve and to maintain environmental hygiene by adopting proper storage practices and rectifying structural defects against rodent infestation.

6 prosecutions against food shops instituted

In the first 11 months of this year, the department conducted 47,340 rodent poison treatments in building blocks, issued 2,434 warnings and instituted six prosecutions against food shops.

Food shop operators will face a maximum fine of $10,000 and three months' jail, plus a daily fine of $300, if convicted of rodent-related offences.

For details of rodent control measures, click here or call the department's hotline, 2868 0000.