Exploring the Effectiveness of Chlorophacinone in Managing Urban Rat Infestation: A Laboratory Study on the Norway Rat, Rattus norvegicus, a Common Urban Rat in Malaysia
,
Abstract
Background: Rat populations in urban areas must be monitored and controlled, as they can transmit zoonotic diseases and pose a risk to human health. Certain urban rat species may not respond well to some of the rodenticides available on the market. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of chlorophacinone in controlling urban rats in a laboratory setting.
Methods: Chlorophacinone, the primary focus of this study, was compared to a commonly used first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (FGAR) available in the urban market, namely Coumatetralyl. Rat specimens were trapped in Kuantan, Pahang, and the dominant species was identified as Rattus norvegicus.
Results: Overall, chlorophacinone demonstrated nearly complete mortality (95%) within an average of eight days post-feeding, followed by coumatetralyl, which exhibited high mortality (85%) within an average of seven days post-feeding. The rats in the chlorophacinone group consumed significantly lower dosages than those in the coumatetralyl group. This was due to variations in the default concentrations of the active ingredient of both treatments. Nevertheless, rats in the chlorophacinone treatment still experienced a higher mortality rate compared to coumatetralyl, despite consuming a lower dosage.
Conclusion: Consequently, this finding suggests that R. norvegicus is more susceptible to chlorophacinone than coumatetralyl. This underscores the potential of chlorophacinone as an effective rodenticide for controlling rat infestations in urban areas throughout Malaysia.
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19. Blazic T, Stojnic B, Milanovic S, Jokic G (2024) A strategy to improve rodent con¬trol control while reducing rodenticide release into the environment. Heliyon. 10: 29471.
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21. Tuyttens FAM and Stuyck JJJM (2002) Effectiveness and efficiency of chlo¬ro-pha¬cinone poisoning for the control of musk¬rat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations. N Z J Zool. 29(1): 33−40.
22. Arjo WM, Nolte DL, Primus TM, Kohler DJ (2004) Assessing the Efficacy of Chlo¬rophacinone for Mountain Beaver (Aplo¬dontia rufa) Control. The 21st Vertebrate Pest Conference, 2004 March 1−4, Uni¬versity of California, Davis. pp. 158−162.
23. Asran AA, Fatma KK, Mona AA, El-Ha-washy NMS (2016) Efficiency of Some Anticoagulants Against The Albino Nor-way Rat, Rattus norvegicus Under La-boratory Conditions. JPPP 7(5): 311−314.
24. Lund M (2015) Commensal Rodents. Ro-dent Pests and their Control (Buckle, AP and Smith, RH eds.). 2nd edition. CAB In¬ternational. Wallingford, Oxon. pp. 19−32.
25. Smith RH, Meyer AN (2015) Rodent Con¬trol Methods; Non-Chemical and Non-Lethal Chemical, Special Reference to Food Store. In: Buckle AP, Smith RH (Eds): Rodent Pests and Their Control. 2nd Ed CAB International, pp. 101−122.
26. Pelz HJ and Klemann N (2004) Rat con-trol strategies in organic pig and poultry production with special reference to ro-denticide resistance and feeding behav-iour. NJAS: Wageningen. J Life Sci. 52 (2): 173−184.
27. Pitt WC, Laura DC, Sugihara RT (2010) Efficacy of Rodenticide Baits for the Con¬trol of Three Invasive Rodent Species in Hawaii. Arc Environ Contam Toxicol. 60(3): 533−542.
28. Ashton AD, Jackson WB, Peters H (1987) Comparative evaluation of LD50 values for various anticoagulant rodenticides. In: Richards, CGJ and Ku TY (Eds): Con¬trol of mammal pests. Taylor and Fran¬cis, London, pp. 187−198.
29. Danish EPA (2011) CLH Report: Pro¬posal for Harmonised Classification and La-belling (Coumatetralyl). København K: European Chemical Agency.
30. European Chemicals Agency (2016) Reg¬u-lation (EU) No 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (Chlorophacinone). European Chemical Agency, Spain.
31. Witmer GW, Snow NP, Moulton RS (2015) Retention time of chlorophaci-none in black‐tailed prairie dogs informs sec¬ond¬ary hazards from a prairie dog rodenti¬cide bait. Pest Manag Sci. 72(4): 725−730.
32. Abou El-Khear RK (2005) The efficiency of some anti-coagulant rodenticides against house mice, Mus musculus and ship rats, Rattus rattus. J Agric Sci, Mansoura Uni¬versity. 30(2): 1147−1152.
33. Mikhail MW, Hasan AH (2016) Response of dominant rodents to Coumatetralyl and Bromadiolone in Greater Cairo, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 46(3): 557−562.
34. Al-Salahy BM, Waly H, Eh-Arably WMH, Wilson M, Hassanein KMA (2019) Rel¬ative toxicity of rodenticide Cou¬matetralyl against some dominant wild rat species from four cities in Assiut Governorate. Assiut Univ J Zool. 48(2): 87−117.
2. Belmain S (2006) Rat and human health in Africa. International Workshop on Ro-dent-Borne Diseases and The Rat Zoo Man Research Project, 2006 May 3−6, Malenale, Republic of South Africa.
3. Behnke JM, Bajer A, Sinski E, Wakelin D (2001) Interactions involving intestinal nem¬atode of rodents: experimental and field studies. Parasitol. 122: 39−49.
4. Hulme-Beaman AE (2016) An ecological and evolutionary framework for com-men¬salism in anthropogenic environments. Trends Ecol Evol. 31: 633−645.
5. Saleh AMA, Al-Agroudi MA, Morsy TA (2016) Occupational, nosocomial or hos-pital acquired toxoplasmosis. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 46: 407−418.
6. Morsy TA, Ibrahim BB, Haridy FM, Rifaat MA (2000) Trichinella encysted larvae in slaughtered pigs in Cairo (1995−1999) J. Egypt Soc Parasitol. 30(3): 753−760.
7. Morsy TA, Micheal SA, Bassili WR, Salah MSM (1982) Studies of rodents and their zoonotic parasites, particularly Leish¬ma¬nia, in Ismailia Governorate, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 12(2): 565−585.
8. El-Nahal HS, Morsy TA, Bassili WR, El-Missiry AG, Saleh MSM (1982) Anti-bodies against 3 parasites of medical im-portance in Rattus sp. collected in Giza Governorate, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Par¬a-sitol. 12(2): 287−293.
9. Spickler AR, Leedom Larson KR (2013) Leptospirosis. Available at: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu:http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/DiseaseInfo/factsheets.php
10. Himsworth CG, Parsons KL, Jardine C, Patrick DM (2013) Rats, cities, people, and pathogens: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of literature regard¬ing the ecology of rat-associated zoono¬ses in urban centers. Vector Borne Zo¬onotic Dis. 13: 349−359.
11. Costa F, Hagan JE, Calcagno J, Kane M, Torgerson P, Martinez-Silveira MS, Abela-Ridder B, Ko AI (2015) Global morbid¬ity and mortality of leptospirosis: a sys¬tematic review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 9: 38−98.
12. Jacob J, Buckle A (2018) Use of an¬ti-coagulant rodenticides in different appli-cations around the world. In: Van Den Brink N, Elliot J, Shore R, Rattner B (Eds): Anticoagulant rodenticides and wildlife.
Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 11−43.
13. Ariff Ateed MN, Mohd Zaludin MS, Wan Abdul Ghani, WMH, Ahmad AH, Salim H (2023) Field efficacy of anticoagulant rodenticides against rat infestation in oil palm plantation. J Oil Palm Res. 35(2): 365−375.
14. Dutto M, Di Domenico D, Rubbiani M (2018) Use of anticoagulant rodenticides in outdoor urban areas; considerations and proposals for the protection of pub-lic health and non-target species. Ann Ig. 30: 44−50.
15. Lee CH and Kamarudin KA (1987) Ro-dent¬icide use and development in Ma-laysia. MARDI Res Bull. 15(2): 129−134.
16. Ariff Ateed MN, Ahmad AH, Salim H (2023) Efficacy of cholecalciferol ro-denticide to control wood rat, Rattus ti-omanicus and its secondary poisoning im¬pact towards barn owl, Tyto javanica ja¬vanica. Sci Rep. 13(2854).
17. Shukor MI, Damiri KB, Zainal Abidin CMR, Bazlan Y (2021) Evaluation be-tween wax block and farmer standard practice of rodenticide Chlorophacinone on rice rat, Rattus argentiventer. IJAFP. 12: 68−72.
18. Ravindran S, Mohd Noor H, Salim H (2022) Anticoagulant rodenticide use in oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia and hazard assessment to non-target animals. Eco¬tox¬icol, 31: 976−997.
19. Blazic T, Stojnic B, Milanovic S, Jokic G (2024) A strategy to improve rodent con¬trol control while reducing rodenticide release into the environment. Heliyon. 10: 29471.
20. Lund M (1971) The toxicity of chlo¬ro-phacinone and warfarin to house mice (Mus musculus). J Hyg (Lond). 69(69): 69−72.
21. Tuyttens FAM and Stuyck JJJM (2002) Effectiveness and efficiency of chlo¬ro-pha¬cinone poisoning for the control of musk¬rat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations. N Z J Zool. 29(1): 33−40.
22. Arjo WM, Nolte DL, Primus TM, Kohler DJ (2004) Assessing the Efficacy of Chlo¬rophacinone for Mountain Beaver (Aplo¬dontia rufa) Control. The 21st Vertebrate Pest Conference, 2004 March 1−4, Uni¬versity of California, Davis. pp. 158−162.
23. Asran AA, Fatma KK, Mona AA, El-Ha-washy NMS (2016) Efficiency of Some Anticoagulants Against The Albino Nor-way Rat, Rattus norvegicus Under La-boratory Conditions. JPPP 7(5): 311−314.
24. Lund M (2015) Commensal Rodents. Ro-dent Pests and their Control (Buckle, AP and Smith, RH eds.). 2nd edition. CAB In¬ternational. Wallingford, Oxon. pp. 19−32.
25. Smith RH, Meyer AN (2015) Rodent Con¬trol Methods; Non-Chemical and Non-Lethal Chemical, Special Reference to Food Store. In: Buckle AP, Smith RH (Eds): Rodent Pests and Their Control. 2nd Ed CAB International, pp. 101−122.
26. Pelz HJ and Klemann N (2004) Rat con-trol strategies in organic pig and poultry production with special reference to ro-denticide resistance and feeding behav-iour. NJAS: Wageningen. J Life Sci. 52 (2): 173−184.
27. Pitt WC, Laura DC, Sugihara RT (2010) Efficacy of Rodenticide Baits for the Con¬trol of Three Invasive Rodent Species in Hawaii. Arc Environ Contam Toxicol. 60(3): 533−542.
28. Ashton AD, Jackson WB, Peters H (1987) Comparative evaluation of LD50 values for various anticoagulant rodenticides. In: Richards, CGJ and Ku TY (Eds): Con¬trol of mammal pests. Taylor and Fran¬cis, London, pp. 187−198.
29. Danish EPA (2011) CLH Report: Pro¬posal for Harmonised Classification and La-belling (Coumatetralyl). København K: European Chemical Agency.
30. European Chemicals Agency (2016) Reg¬u-lation (EU) No 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (Chlorophacinone). European Chemical Agency, Spain.
31. Witmer GW, Snow NP, Moulton RS (2015) Retention time of chlorophaci-none in black‐tailed prairie dogs informs sec¬ond¬ary hazards from a prairie dog rodenti¬cide bait. Pest Manag Sci. 72(4): 725−730.
32. Abou El-Khear RK (2005) The efficiency of some anti-coagulant rodenticides against house mice, Mus musculus and ship rats, Rattus rattus. J Agric Sci, Mansoura Uni¬versity. 30(2): 1147−1152.
33. Mikhail MW, Hasan AH (2016) Response of dominant rodents to Coumatetralyl and Bromadiolone in Greater Cairo, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 46(3): 557−562.
34. Al-Salahy BM, Waly H, Eh-Arably WMH, Wilson M, Hassanein KMA (2019) Rel¬ative toxicity of rodenticide Cou¬matetralyl against some dominant wild rat species from four cities in Assiut Governorate. Assiut Univ J Zool. 48(2): 87−117.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 19 No 1 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/jad.v19i1.19996 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Rattus norvegicus; Rodenticide; First-generation anticoagulant; Chlorophacinone | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Mohd-Noh AA, Rashid Y, Muhammad-Nasir D, Zainal-Abidin CMR. Exploring the Effectiveness of Chlorophacinone in Managing Urban Rat Infestation: A Laboratory Study on the Norway Rat, Rattus norvegicus, a Common Urban Rat in Malaysia. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 2025;19(1):62–70.
