Vancouver, BC June 1, 2021 – As part of an initiative to test rodents for COVID 19, Abell Pest Control is participating in a research initiative with The Vancouver Rat Project (VRP), which is part of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative. Rodent carcasses will be collected and tested for the P1 variant experimentally found to infect rodents.
“This is an innovative and new way to conduct important research about a virus that seems to be one step ahead of us,” said John Abell, President, Abell Pest Control. “Abell is in a position to provide researchers with the specimens needed for surveillance and research.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abell Pest Control has seen a 51% increase in rat-related calls in British Columbia compared to 2020. The company has seen similar increases in other markets across the country as well.
Led by the VRP in partnership with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and the Structural Pest Management Association of BC and with funding from Genome British Columbia, researchers will work with pest control companies, including Abell to collect rodents caught in specific areas of Vancouver, Surrey, and North Vancouver. The outcomes of this work are of great interest to both provincial and federal groups.
The CWHC is offering $10 per specimen, and Abell Pest Control will donate and match all proceeds from the collection of rats and mice to food banks across Vancouver, Surrey, and North Vancouver.
Abell Pest Control is a North American leader in pest control, hygiene, and disinfection services offering businesses and homeowners effective, safe, and dependable services since 1924.
