Australia's Mice Plague: The Unprecedented Problem, Caused by Rodent Outbreak That's Engulfed New South Wales.

When the Covid 19 pandemic spread across the globe, Australia has been confronted with a new dilemma. In Australia, the plague outbreak has been on the rise in recent months–the increase in the population of mice in 

the country, especially the rural area of new south wales.

Mice cause damage to agriculture crops and household products as well as spread the plague among people. Mice droppings have infected tones of grains and truckloads of Hay will be Burned as the result of damage.

In view of the crisis, Australia’s Agriculture minister Adam Marshall has stated that “We’re at a critical point now where if we don’t significantly reduce the number of mice that are in plague proportion by spring, we’re facing an absolute economic and social crisis in rural and regional new south Wales”.

What is Plague?

Plague is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia Pestis. Transmitted through rodents– rat fleas are the primary vector of plague. General symptoms like, fever, headache, chill, nausea, swallowed lymph node, chest pain. Diagnosis– through microscopy, serological tests, PCR, etc. Treatment- antibiotics (Fluorquinone, doxycycline)

Emergence.

The population of mice and cases of plague had reported around mid-march in Australia. According to Steve 

Henry, a researcher at CSIRO, the plague was caused by an exceptionally plentiful grain harvest earlier in the season, which resulted in an over-abundance of mice. and the mice also have a short generation time (21 

days). They can tolerate dry spells for a long period of time, and when the weather improves, they multiply quickly as food and water become available.

How it can be controlled?

The state government has ordered a forbidden toxin (Bromadiolone) in quantities of 5000 litres from India.

“We have no choice but to go down this path because we need something incredibly strong, the equivalent of napalm, to simply blow these mice into oblivion,” Marshall explained.  According to associate press, 

individuals have so far used bait, legal poisons, and water traps to tackle the rat plague.

A lack of food could also lead to a population drop, as mice feed on themselves, consuming the sick, weak, and their own progeny, but there is no way of knowing when the mouse infestation will cease.