Study Finds 70% of Mice ‘Mutating’ to Survive Poison
Researchers found about 70% of sampled mice carried mutations linked to resistance, complicating New York City’s efforts to control rodents.
- A study published in Pest Management Science this April found that urban house mice in the Northeast are genetically evolving resistance to common anticoagulant rodenticides, according to Rutgers University researchers.
- Repeated exposure to poisons over many years caused mice to develop mutations in the Vkorc1 gene, which entomologist Changlu Wang explained allows them to survive treatments more effectively.
- Researchers analyzing 147 house mice and 143 Norway rats found 84 percent of mice carried at least one Vkorc1 mutation, while roughly 70 percent showed mutations linked to resistance.
- With rodent populations appearing increasingly 'stubborn,' experts now advise agencies to rotate between different poison classes and incorporate non-chemical methods to maintain control effectiveness.
- Wang warned that resistance requires higher chemical doses, causing greater environmental impact to non-target wildlife and pets, making pest management in U.S. cities increasingly complex.
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Daily Journal
Study finds 70% of mice ‘mutating’ to survive poison
Scientists from Rutgers University found DNA and genes from mice have changed to adapt and survive even the strongest poisons available.
A recent study shows that mice have adapted faster than rats because they are more likely to try foods they don't know, including poison baitsWorkers at Pontevedra hospital denounce the presence of rats and snakes at the center pharmacy Rats and mice from various urban areas of the northeast of the United States, including New York City, have mutated genetically and are more resistant to commonly used pesticides, according to a recent study by R…
House mice are developing resistance to common poisons, N.J. study finds
Some house mice throughout New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., carry genetic mutations that render common rodent poison ineffective, according to a new Rutgers University study.The research, published in Pest Management Science, examined genetic mutations in house mice and Norway rats, also known as brown rats. The study analyzed a gene known as VKORC1, which produces an enzyme essential for blood clotting.
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