Spokane Rodent Control Program

During the summer of 1948, a survey made by the Washington State Department of Health revealed that the rat population in Spokane had increased to a point w here it could become a health menace. This information gained added importance when plague was found in wild rodents in e a stern Washington near Spokane. With heavy rat population in the city and the presence of plague in wild rodents in areas near Spokane, there was a possibility that plague could be transmitted to rats within the city, and thus to humans. Although no immediate plague problem existed, it was thought that steps should be taken to decrease the rat population before there was a critical situation.19512453619