When the public schools in Anguilla reopen in the first week of September, classrooms are expected to be free of invasive rodents thus assuring parents, teachers and students, that there is no threat of rat-borne diseases.
“De-rating” the schools, as the two-week effort by the Environmental Health Department has been described, was virtually completed this week at the Adrian T. Hazell School. Mr. Lesroy Lake, Supervisor of the Vector Control Team and Environmental Health Officer, explained the work undertaken by him and his colleagues.
“What we undertook was a de-rating programme in all the six Primary Schools, and the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School over the past two weeks,” he told The Anguillian. “The first week involved setting the bait in the running paths and corners taken by the rodents, and the second week a follow-up to find out whether there are any more rodents in the schools – and to set additional bait if needed. We will ensure that by the reopening of the schools there will be no rodents in the buildings and that any remaining rat bait is removed. We are trying to combat the vector-borne diseases as the schools have complained a lot about the increase of rodents there. The rodents carry many diseases and so we are trying to ensure that the students are not affected by any of these diseases.”
A total of 83 1/4 Pounds of rodent bait was used in the work.
Those assigned to work with Mr. Lake were Mr. Alex Fleming, Senior Vector Officer and overseer; Vector Control Officers, Ms. Shadwa Richardson and Ms. Icilma Morton; and Ms. Ladawn Richardson, a six-week job trainee from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.
