State is advising residents
to take action against rodents

Growth in the mouse population renews
worries over various rodent-borne diseases

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By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com

Due to a summer field mouse population explosion in parts of Maui, the Big Island and Kauai, the state Health Department is advising residents to declare war on the rodents because they carry a number of diseases.

One of those diseases is murine typhus. By June, the six reported cases of murine typhus -- four in Kihei, Maui; one in Lahaina; and one in Eleele, Kauai -- had already surpassed the state's average of five cases for the past 10 years, with six on Maui and one on Kauai.

"We're at the upper limits, but not something we haven't seen in the past," said Paul Kitsutani, medical officer based in Hawaii for the Centers for Disease Control and working with the Health Department.

Typhus is spread by the bite or feces of fleas carried by mice and rats. Its flu-like symptoms include high fever, headaches, rash and loss of appetite.

In June, the Health Department noticed a fourfold increase in the number of field mice on Maui and the Big Island over the last year. In some areas such as Kihei, the increase was greater. The rodents leave dry pasturelands looking for food and water during the summer in residential areas, said Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.

On Maui, Kihei, Kula and former sugar cane land near Lahaina are affected. On the Big Island, Waikoloa, Kawaihae and South Kohala have been hit.

On Kauai, mice have been seen in the farm lots and residential areas of Waimea. The night of June 27, 270 mice were caught in 92 traps in Waimea, Okubo said, but could not cite any numbers for comparison.

Kitsutani could not say whether there is a correlation between the increase in mice and the incidence of typhus.

"When you look at the numbers, it appears that way," Kitsutani said, but emphasized there was no conclusive evidence.

"It could signify an increased awareness of typhus," he said. "Physicians may not necessarily have thought of typhus when patients come in with fever and body aches."

Many physicians on Maui have been ordering tests for both dengue fever and typhus since the symptoms are similar, he said.

Last year, Maui had two cases of typhus and has averaged three a year for the past 10 years. He said the highest number of typhus cases in a year on Maui was five.

The latest onset of the disease occurred from March to June, with one new case in June.

TIPS TO ELIMINATE MICE The state Health Department recommends residents do the following to keep mice away from their homes: TO CONTROL MICE INDOORS: >> Keep the home clean, especially the kitchen. >> Remove food sources. Keep a tight-fitting lid on garbage. >> Set spring-loaded or glue traps near baseboards because mice tend to run along walls and in tight spaces. Poisoning is not recommended indoors. >> Check traps daily and remove mice quickly. Seal dead mice in a plastic bag or container and discard. TO CONTROL MICE OUTDOORS: >> Use mechanical traps. Bait should be kept out of reach of children and pets. >> Property owners should contact licensed pest control operators for serious rodent problems. >> Seal all entry holes 1/4-inch wide or wider with mesh metal screen, sheet metal, cement or other patching materials. >> Clear brush and grass from around house foundations to eliminate nesting materials. For further information, call the Health Department on Oahu at 483-2535, on Maui at 873-3560, on Hawaii at 974-4238 and on Kauai at 241-3306.