Tag Archives: Rat

Now rat-free, fish market will reopen

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The New Seaway Fish Market, a fixture in Toronto’s Kensington Market, will reopen its doors Friday morning with new inventory after a rat infestation closed the fishmonger for several days.

“I’m really shocked,” proprietor Kim Chou told the Globe and Mail.

“This building is at least 100 years old, and gradually it got damaged. I have to say I didn’t really pay attention – that’s why the rats found entry new.seaway.fish.marketto my store.”

The intruders were Norway rats, brown and sleek, and there were probably dozens of them on or around the premises, said Jim Chan, who manages the food safety program for Toronto Public Health.

In recent weeks, Mr. Chan’s staff have closed three other rodent-plagued food outlets downtown – one in Kensington, another on Spadina Avenue and a third on Gerrard Street – and he explains that what’s going on is no great mystery. It’s the rapidly changing weather, coupled with rats’ talent for crawling through extremely small holes. “When it’s cold, rodents such as rats like to burrow into structures, to wherever it’s warm.”

Then, when things warm up, they’re on the move again. “It all makes them mobile.”

$3500 fine; Melbourne market sold food contaminated with rat feces, court hears

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The Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne is a sprawling enterprise that I always visit when in town; but I have no delusions about food safety.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court has, according to the Herald Sun, heard six inspections over a six-month period revealed stallholder Robert Dinardo, 47, had food on display containing rodent droppings and packaging that had been gnawed at and shredded by rats.

An environmental health officer also found incorrectly labeled items and food for sale containing dirt, insects and feathers.

Dinardo pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including failing to comply with relevant legislation and selling food unsuitable for human consumption.

Dinardo was convicted and fined $3,500 and ordered to pay costs of $2,100.

Bushmeat illegally sold by butchers in London

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The country that gave the world mushy peas and mad cow disease is now discovering illegal sales of bushmeat in one of the busiest food markets in east London.

Medical Daily reports the Ridley Road Market in Dalston, in east London, is apparently known to be a hotbed of illegal activity. It is reported that butchers there conduct sales of illegal “smokies,” a delicacy made by charring goat and sheep with a blowtorch. At least two stores were found to sell “grass cutter” or cane rats, possibly imported from Ghana, where they are a luxury.

The practice of “smokies” has been outlawed due to public health and animal welfare concerns. The practice has also been linked to mafia-style gangs in Wales, who steal sheep and goats and slaughter them in unlicensed houses.

Bush meat has been a consistent problem for authorities in the UK. The illegal meat products are often smuggled in at the airports or ferries. They fear that the meat could pose risks to consumers, either through eating it or via contamination.

A BBC reporter found several stores and butchers selling the meat easily, however. Though not every store participated in the practice, some were easily uncovered. All have knowledge that the practice is illegal. One butcher who sold the meat to the reporter said, “Don’t tell anyone; otherwise, there will be trouble.”

Despite the fact that these sales seem to be an open secret, the last enforcement visit to the neighborhood was conducted in 2009. Though the visit was due to a tip claiming that illegal bush meat was being sold, the investigation was inconclusive. 

Dead rat restaurant is fined $97,000 in Sydney

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Speak softly and carry a big stick seems to have been adopted by New South Wales.

An Indian restaurant in Sydney’s Kings Cross has been fined almost $100,000 after inspectors found a dead rat and cockroaches in the kitchen.

An inspection last December following a customer complaint found rat feces, food stored on the floor, accumulated dirt, grease-encrusted equipment and a large dead rat behind a garbage bin.

The City of Sydney launched legal proceedings against the restaurant, alleging the owner had failed to maintain clean, sanitary and hygienic conditions as required by the Food Act.

The owners of the Kings Cross takeaway pleaded guilty in court to 13 counts of failing to comply with the Food Standards Code.

City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone said most Sydney food businesses delivered high standards of hygiene and food safety.

“The outcome of this case should serve as a warning to food businesses who don’t follow the rules and who put people’s health at risk,” she said.

The restaurant was fined $97,500, or $7500 for each of the 13 offences.

Want to watch my snake eat a rat? 46 sick with Salmonella, many young kids, from feeder rodents

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Want to watch my snake eat a rat?

I vaguely knew a couple of people who said that in the 1970s, just like the acid scene in Almost Famous.

Probably sucked as a pickup line.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is collaborating with 22 state health departments in an ongoing investigation of an outbreak of human Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- infections associated with exposure to rodents sold as food for pet reptiles and amphibians (i.e., feeder rodents). This outbreak strain also was implicated in a 2009 outbreak in the United Kingdom and a 2010 outbreak in the United States, both linked to frozen feeder rodents from a single U.S. supplier, resulting in recalls.

During August 29, 2011–February 2, 2012, a total of 46 cases of human Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- infection were reported in 22 states. The median patient age was 11 years (range: <1–69 years); 37% were aged ≤5 years, and 52% were male. Of the 27 patients interviewed, six (22%) reported hospitalization, 20 (74%) reported reptile or amphibian exposures, and 15 (56%) reported feeder rodent exposure. For 12 patients who recalled the types of rodent contacted, five (42%) reported exposure to live rodents, four (33%) to frozen rodents, and three (25%) to both live and frozen rodents. Seven (58%) patients reported exposure to mice, two (17%) to rats, two (17%) to both mice and rats, and one (8%) was unsure. No patients reported exposure to rodents purchased from the same pet store.

Frozen mice specimens from two North Carolina pet stores where two patients purchased feeder rodents yielded the outbreak strain. Tracing the source of these mice has been difficult for investigators because of complex breeder and supplier networks and inadequate records. However, two breeders supplying pet stores from which patients had purchased rodents had received mice from the company implicated in the 2009 and 2010 outbreaks. Given the wide distribution of illnesses, rodent suppliers, and pet stores, the outbreak strain might now be endemic in feeder rodents.

The fact that 37% of patients were aged ≤5 years supports recommendations that young children avoid exposure to reptiles or amphibians, including in the home. Owners of reptiles, amphibians, or other animals that are fed rodents should be aware of the risk for salmonellosis from the animals and live and frozen feeder rodents. Safe handling instructions for all of these animals should be provided at the point of sale.

References
Harker K, Lane C, De Pinna E, Adak G. An outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT191a associated with reptile feeder mice. Epidemiol Infect 2011;139:1254–61.

CDC. Investigation announcement: multistate outbreak of human Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- infections associated with frozen rodents. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/frozenrodents/index.html. Accessed April 13, 2012.

CDC. Reptiles, amphibians, and Salmonella. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2012. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellafrogturtle. Accessed April 16, 2012.

It’s OK; ‘koala meat’ was actually bamboo rat, restaurant claims

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A restaurant in southern China that found itself at the center of outrage for selling "koala meat" claims it was in fact selling a type of rat that bears a resemblance to the drowsy marsupial.

An Australian tourist visiting a restaurant in Guangzhou’s Panyu district told a radio station 3AW that diners were able to select a live koala from a cage and could choose whether they wanted it "braised" or "stewed."

Distressed by the scene, the traveller snapped a photo of what appeared to be the iconic animal, bent forward and facing downward in a cage, with only a carrot given as food.

But the general manager of the restaurant denied that the animal was a koala, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"The Australian tourist was actually the victim of a false alarm, as the restaurant never sells koala," the manager said.

Another manager at the restaurant clarified that the animal was a bamboo rat.

The Chinese bamboo rat is found in southern parts of the country and is commonly sold in food markets.

Fancy food isn’t safe food: Pusateri’s, Toronto’s most expensive grocer closed by rats, roaches

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Pusateri’s, proudly billed as Toronto’s most expensive grocer — on its shelves are the best quality fruits, vegetables, meats, imported canned goods and a range of prepared food – has been closed by Toronto Public Health due to poor sanitation and pest infestation.

“It is up to the operator to improve their services and arrange a reinspection with the Public Health Inspector,” Toronto Public Health spokeswoman Rishma Govani confirmed to the Star by email Thursday afternoon.

Pusateri’s general manager John Mastroianni, however, said the store was closed for “general maintenance.”

“It’s not rodents,” Mastroianni said, repeatedly insisting that the issue was equipment related and “general maintenance.”

Govani said specifically that the closure was due to poor sanitation and pest infestation.

The inspection arose as a result of a public complaint, she said adding the pest infestation included rats as well as cockroaches.

When confronted again with the confirmation from Toronto Public Health that the store was in fact closed due to poor sanitation and pests, Mastroianni admitted cockroaches had been found in the store.

Live rat found in loaf of bread in Austrlalia

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Authorities are investigating how a live rat was allegedly able to find its way into a loaf of bread at a Townsville supermarket (that’s in Northern Queensland, Australia) before being sold to an unsuspecting customer.

The gruesome find was made by a shopper who bought a loaf of Helga’s Bread from Coles at Centro in Aitkenvale on Sunday.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was unloading her shopping into a car with a friend when she noticed the slices had holes in them.
 

Rat sipping Starbucks syrup

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Starbucks has instituted several new procedures in response to a YouTube video shot April 21 which shows what’s believed to be a black rat inside the Terra Nova Starbucks (that’s in B.C., in Canada), searching for food while walking on the counter amongst the syrups.

Steve Chong, Richmond’s chief public health inspector, said that an environmental health officer met with Starbucks management on Tuesday morning to deal with the concerns.

"Based on the inspection today, there is no indication that there’s a rodent infestation," Chong told The Richmond Review.

Chong said the pest control employee noted some rodent access points, which have now been pest-proofed.

Chong believes from the grainy images that it was a black rat seen foraging around the syrups in the YouTube video. They wander up to 100 yards from their home.

That rat’s got happy feet.
 

Rat poop everywhere on Delta jet

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Rat poop may be the immediate health risk, but gnawing on wires is even more dangerous.

We found this out the expensive way a couple of times in Kansas, when rats, seeking warmth, entered the car’s engine and decided to go for a chomp.

It’s happened twice.

Bloomberg reports that rodent droppings “too numerous to count” were found by U.S. health inspectors near a Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) jet’s galley where food and drink are stored.

The excrement and mammalian urine turned up in inspections at a Delta hangar in Atlanta, the Food and Drug Administration said in an April 13 letter to the airline.

Delta’s response to the agency didn’t include steps to prevent a recurrence, which is “likely” unless such measures are taken, the FDA said.

The FDA said the inspections took place from Jan. 26 through Feb. 2. Rodent excrement was discovered above the right and left forward galleys and mammalian urine was detected in six areas on ceiling panels over a galley, according to the FDA.

Chad Artimovich, president of Atlanta Wildlife Solutions LLC, a pest-control company, said,

“Once it gets in there and gets established, there’s no reason to leave. The real concern is if a rat started chewing on wires. Almost every house I go into where there are rats, they’ve chewed on wood and wiring and ornaments. Their teeth are harder than iron and they have to keep them gnawed down.”