Ordinarily, opportunity awaits anyone who trades in rat poisons and traps in Nigeria. The reason is simple; there are rats virtually everywhere – in homes, offices, markets, abandoned buildings etcetera. But with the current outbreak of Lassa fever, which has so far claimed many lives nationwide, trading in rat poison has received a boost in sales. UGBOJA FELIX OJONUGWA writes.
Dressed in a blue over-coat with a large chest pocket, he juggled a carton placed on his head, while clutching a small transparent bag in his hand. Abdulrahman Teju, 23, has been hawking rat poison for two years now, and business has not been better for him than now.
“Since news about the Lassa fever broke, the demand for my products has greatly increased. I don’t know if I should say it is a blessing in disguise, but I have been making a lot of profit lately,” he said.
Before now, Teju would sell 20 packs of his products or even less, while hopping from lane to lane on some of Abuja’s highways daily. But there is an obvious change now.
“I can’t really say how many anymore; business is booming very well now. I sell maybe up to 50 packs or more,” he told LEADERSHIP Sunday.
This is a throwback to the scenario that played out during the Ebola disease outbreak in Nigeria more than a year ago. Hand washing liquids and sanitisers were in high demand and marketers made brisk business while the scourge lasted.
This is all a result of man’s instinct for survival. The situation is real, as far as Lassa fever is concerned in Nigeria. More states are recording cases, and people are seriously calling on government to be just as proactive as was the case during the Ebola outbreak, which was even worse, compared to Lassa fever.
LEADERSHIP Sunday checks revealed that many Nigerians have started seeking self-protection.
“Since we got wind of the information that Lassa disease is carried by rats, we have been doing everything possible in my family to get rid of every one of them we can find. We have bought almost every kind of rat killers there are, from pesticides to traps, and we have been getting results. Life is very precious,” said Nduka Ugochi, a mother of three.
Quite a number of families are also adopting various means to get rid of rats in their homes. And Eze Andrew, another pesticide dealer whom LEADERSHIP Sunday caught up with, can sell to you the many ways to kill a rat; even without spilling any blood.
Unlike Teju, who sells a single product, Andrew is a master of all rat killer products.
Dressed in a vest adorned with every kind of rodent killer there is, with only his face and hands left bare, Andrew calls out to buyers with a loud whistle and an equally loud voice saying, ‘‘e dey worry you?’’(Are you disturbed by rats?)
“Here, I have what is commonly known as ‘kill-and-dry’, I also have the ones that can be mixed with food for unsuspecting rodents to eat, I also have a gum trap, which catches the rodents whenever they try to cross over it, as well as a traditional rat trap which can be set with a piece of fish or meat in it. All these things and many others are now in high demand and as you can see, I have been on my feet all day interacting with customers,” he said, in an exciting tone.
From the people who swarm around Andrew, each one demanding for one rat killer or the other, it is not hard at all to see how much profit Andrew is making. He appears to be quite popular in the markets he visits.
While the story of Teju and Andrew is that of advantage, food products sellers, especially Garri (cassava flakes) are not having the best of times.
Lassa fever, according to Dr Mike Amunike of Better Day Hospital, Wuse, Abuja, can be gotten from exposure to infected rats or the consumption of foods that contain the urine or excreta of the virus-carrying rat; and rats are quite infamous for taking a leak on food stuffs, especially ‘Garri’, and all other types of foods whose processing methods in local areas often require them being spread on tarred roads to dry; an open invitation for rodents.
According to Adeleke Folake, who sells Garri in Gwagwalada market in Abuja, the demand for her product hasn’t really been affected by the Lassa disease outbreak as feared.
“For now, we still make sales, and the price of Garri has even gone up. But we were quite worried what the situation would be for us the sellers, when people started saying that Garri should be avoided at all costs. But people are still buying and we are praying that the Lassa disease should go away, so that our business can continue to flourish,” she said.
Most other garri seller reiterated Adeleke’s position when LEADERSHIP Sunday spoke to them. Those who differed however blamed poor sales on the economy.
“The reason I have not been able to sell enough garri is not because of Lassa fever; my customers are complaining that they don’t have as much money as they used to have, so that is really affecting my business; not Lassa fever,” said Ejike Emmanuel.
Health workers have stressed the need for sensitisation about the dangers of the fever and how one can avoid being exposed to it.
According to Dr Mike, apart from the exposure to a dead infected rat, the consumption of it as evident in some places poses a very high risk to humans.
“Naturally, the virus is transferred from one animal to another, but humans catch the virus when they are also exposed to infected ones, or when they are eaten,” he said.
For Terna Victor, who sells bush meat along the Abuja Airport Junction road, the news of Lassa fever outbreak hasn’t deterred any of his customers yet from patronising his stand.
“My customers are still buying bush meat from me, I don’t have any complaints at all; and besides, my meat is free from any Lassa fever,” he quipped.
Dr Mike emphasised the need for people to be aware of how risky it is to be careless right now.
“While most humans are infected either from contact with an infected rat or inhalation of air contaminated with rat excretions, like other haemorrhagic fevers, Lassa disease can be transmitted directly from one human to another. It can be contracted through direct contact with infected human blood excretions and secretions, including through sexual contact. However, there is no evidence of airborne transmission but transmission through breast milk is also very likely,” he said.
From what health workers say, the absolute control of the virus-carrying rodent population is quite a task, but people can be precautionary in order to prevent infection, since there is yet to be a known vaccine for it.
“The potent and practical measures are limited to keeping rodents out of homes and food supplies, as well as maintaining effective personal hygiene. Gloves, masks, laboratory coats, and goggles are advised while in contact with an infected person or animal,” he advised.
In the meantime, while Teju, Andrew and their fellow comrades are seeing better times economically, they too, like everyone else, would need to be as careful as possible.
Experts advise that the consumption of foodstuffs like Garri, especially the ‘soaking and drinking’ method, should be temporarily suspended, while at the same time, making sure that all foods are well covered and protected from any risk.
The post Pesticides Business Booms As Lassa Fever Scourge Mounts appeared first on Nigerian News from Leadership News.
