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Health officials tell Decatur County Council of Clarksburg rat outbreak; county to lead coordinated eradication
Summary
Decatur County health officials told the County Council they are treating a community-wide rat infestation centered in Clarksburg as a public‑health emergency, outlined a multi-step eradication plan and said the county will likely need to fund much of the work rather than rely solely on property owners.
Decatur County health officials told the Decatur County Council at a meeting that a community‑wide rat infestation concentrated in Clarksburg requires a coordinated eradication effort and likely county funding.
Health Department staff said they mapped signs of rats at roughly 30 properties in Clarksburg and found evidence such as burrows and urine trails using infrared imaging. “We do have a community wide rat problem,” the Health Department speaker said, noting the county has documented bites and other human exposure concerns and that rats can carry many diseases.
The Health Department described an integrated pest management approach: remove food sources and habitat, follow up across the neighborhood, then use trapping and poisoning at the same time so rats do not simply relocate. The department said it will…
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