Environment & Energy

xchrom

(108,903 posts) Wed Oct 17, 2012, 09:55 AM Oct 2012

Three quarters of rats in parts of West 'resistant to poison' {uk}

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-19974261

About 75% of rats in the West have built up a resistance to poisons

An increasing number of rats in areas of the west of England are mutating to become more resistant to commonly sold poisons, a university study has found.

Scientists at Huddersfield University said about 75% of rats in Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire had built up a resistance.

The most serious mutations have affected rats in Bath and Wiltshire.

Experts have blamed the rise on the incorrect use of poisons where dosages which are too low have been used.

8 replies

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Three quarters of rats in parts of West 'resistant to poison' {uk} (Original Post) xchrom Oct 2012 OP

Rats keep up pscot Oct 2012 #1

Darwin! nt barnabas63 Oct 2012 #2

Maybe they're genetically modified and resistant to pesticides . . . . . no_hypocrisy Oct 2012 #3

How do you build up a resistance to blood thinners? That's what some of the rat poisons are. JDPriestly Oct 2012 #4

Just a guess, but maybe they metaboilize it quickly before it can do damage? nt Speck Tater Oct 2012 #5

If that were true, our pharmaceuticals would be all over them trying to figure out how they do it. JDPriestly Oct 2012 #6

Wonder when poison-resistant rats start carrying antibiotic-resistant plague phantom power Oct 2012 #7

K&R n/t DeSwiss Nov 2012 #8

pscot

(21,024 posts)

1. Rats keep up

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 09:57 AM

Oct 2012

barnabas63

(1,214 posts)

2. Darwin! nt

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 09:58 AM

Oct 2012

no_hypocrisy

(46,202 posts)

3. Maybe they're genetically modified and resistant to pesticides . . . . .

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 09:58 AM

Oct 2012

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)

4. How do you build up a resistance to blood thinners? That's what some of the rat poisons are.

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 10:23 AM

Oct 2012

Speck Tater

(10,618 posts)

5. Just a guess, but maybe they metaboilize it quickly before it can do damage? nt

Reply to JDPriestly (Reply #4)

Wed Oct 17, 2012, 12:36 PM

Oct 2012

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)

6. If that were true, our pharmaceuticals would be all over them trying to figure out how they do it.

Reply to Speck Tater (Reply #5)

Thu Oct 18, 2012, 03:20 PM

Oct 2012

Hemophilia is still an affliction. And some people get nose bleeds that just go on and on and on and could use a medication that would make the resist bloodthinners. Some people at certain times need to be on bloodthinners.

phantom power

(25,966 posts)

7. Wonder when poison-resistant rats start carrying antibiotic-resistant plague

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Thu Oct 18, 2012, 04:35 PM

Oct 2012

DeSwiss

(27,137 posts)

8. K&R n/t

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Tue Nov 20, 2012, 02:28 PM

Nov 2012

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