Bahrain residents warn of impending health crisis as rodents continue to multiply
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Report by Zahra Ayaz
Sitra and Mina Salman are business hotspots in Bahrain, and their contributions to the economy are vital.
Bahrain's entire petroleum output is concentrated at Sitra, which also serves as an export centre for the oil resources of northern Saudi Arabia.
Mina Salman is a major Gulf port that has acted as a gateway to the Arabian Gulf since the 1960s.
However, these locations, as well as others near Bahrain's beaches, are now being discussed for a different reason: rats! thousands, not just one or two! They are said to be everywhere.
Residents told the Daily Tribune that unchecked rodents upset them.
People claim that their numbers and sightings have recently increased and that they have acquired so much daring that they now venture to enter a house in broad daylight!
The situation has deteriorated.
Interestingly, residents of Adliya, Gudaibiya, and Um Al Hassam also recounted the same account.
They claim that rat sightings have increased dramatically in recent months.
Tania Rebello, a resident of Adliya for several years, told The Daily Tribune, while being vocal about the attractiveness of the place, “One thing that has always bothered me is the number of rats in the area.”
“I always find rats near the building as I return home from work in the evening.”
“You can see them roaming around during the day; they even reside on our terrace, and recently they ate through my AC drain pipe and tried to enter my house."
"The damage was expensive and time-consuming to repair.”
She further added that her neighbour too went through the same trauma.
“They managed to catch around 20 rats after setting traps, but freed them all at a faraway location!" Rebello, on the other hand, claims that traps have become less effective as the rodent population has grown from hundreds to thousands.
This endeavour is fruitless since it must be addressed on a much wider basis.
Rats, according to inhabitants, are not only destructive to the environment but also to humans.
The respiratory problems that might result from inhaling excrement and urine exacerbate the condition.
People are hoping that the government will move quickly to eradicate rats from the Adliya region.
So, what can be done?
According to a pet control agency, the most likely causes are garbage left on the street and thriving vegetation.
However, Hassan al Qallaf, the director of Al Qallaf Pest Control Service, told The Daily Tribune that the rats are sheltering inside buildings for another reason: changing weather.
Besides, many leave leftover food outside their home to feed the birds but inadvertently attract rats, which they find later inside their rooms.
Qallaf also points fingers at the sewage problems in Manama, Gudaibiya, Adliya, and others for the sudden surge in the rat population.
He highlights that authorities are yet to take any action, even years after bringing it to their attention. He warns that rodents carry with them many diseases.
“They taint food with water, fur, and saliva." Mice can contaminate ten times the amount of food they eat,” he warned.
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