Changhua County Government Drafts Cross-Departmental Rat Control Plan Based on "3 No's" Principle

(CNA, Changhua, May 20, by reporter Cheng Wei-chen) A Changhua County councilor raised concerns today during a regular council session about controlling rat infestations. Health Bureau Director Yeh Yen-po stated that there have been no Hantavirus cases this year. Environmental Protection Bureau Director Chiang Pei-ken said that a cross-departmental rat control work plan is being drafted, adhering to the "3 No's" principle, and will be implemented swiftly. The Changhua County Council convened its 7th regular session of the 20th term today. KMT County Councilor Chen Yu-chi stated that locations where rats appear involve many management units. She requested the county government to identify and list high-risk areas in the county, establish a cross-departmental task force for control, and propose a rat and vector control project plan within one month. DPP County Councilor Lai Ching-mei pointed out that a resident in Hemei Township has been hoarding items for a long time, causing rats to run rampant, and expressed concern that Hantavirus cases could also appear in Changhua County. Yeh Yen-po said that Changhua County has had occasional cases in the past, primarily in harbor areas with poor environmental conditions and inadequate personal hygiene, or in special environments such as places where rats are specifically raised. There have been two mild cases in the past five years. Chiang Pei-ken mentioned that a rat density survey is already being planned, and a cross-departmental rat control work plan is being drafted. After the county magistrate's approval in the near future, it will be promptly implemented by various departments, adhering to the "3 No's" principle: "don't let rats come, don't let them eat, and don't let them live."