An assessment of the impact of rodent infestations on public health in Abuja Municipal Area Council (A.M.A.C) Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the level of rat infestation associated with housing and waste disposal seen in Abuja based on respondent’s  information and bacteriological analysis from the oral and anal region of rodents within the AMAC area council. Two hundred and ten  (210) well-structured questionnaires were strategically administered to the five communities within Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC),  Abuja but 200 respondents returned their questionnaire. Fifty (50) rats were captured alive using adhesive glue boards and 100  samples were collected from oral and anal swabs. The survey revealed that a large percentage of the respondents are males (77.5%)  between the age of 35-44 (33%) and civil servants (42%). Residents from Nyanya, Airport Road and Around Asokoro reported 85%, 70%  and 45% respectively of rat infestation. waste disposal methods normally used are the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB)  waste disposal (54%) and open dumping method (35.5%). Chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between rodent infestation  and disease transmission. All organism isolated were gram negative bacteria and had the following isolation rates Enterobacter cloacae  (35%), Escheriacia coli at (19%), Salmonella spp (4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10%) and Providencia stuartii (12 %), Enterobacter  hormaechi (11%) and Proteus mirabilis (9%) respectively. All isolated organism was 100% resistant to Oxytetracycline while P. aeruginosa  shows a 90% resistance to anicilin respectively. Conclusively, our investigation has revealed a relationship between rat infestation and  diseases presence.