Every district in Shanghai will soon begin publishing information online about the number of rats, mosquitoes, flies and roaches living in their jurisdiction, to help residents better evaluate the work of health officials.

Jing'an became the first district in the city to publish the information, when it posted statistics on its Website earlier this month. Other districts are still doing preparation work.

In July, the Shanghai Patriotic Health Campaign Office ordered all district and city-based health offices to publicize information about pest populations every month.

Experts collect information about populations by counting the number of rats, mosquitoes and other pests in small control areas over a set period of time, and then extrapolate to estimate the number in the entire district.

As rodents, roaches and flies can spread disease, the information is needed to ensure populations aren't growing too quickly or too large and creating a health risk.

This is the first time the information has been made available to average city residents.

Health offices around the city will also launch education campaigns to teach people how to control the number or rats and other pests in and near their homes.

Jing'an district's rat population rose just over 57 percent in August compared with the same month last year, while the number of roaches and mosquitoes in the area fell about 50 percent.

"The rise in the number of rats may be because of removal projects in the district," said Chen Peixin, vice director of the Jing'an Patriotic Health Campaign Office. "The boiling weather in August and our moves against roaches and mosquitoes contributed to the decline."

(Shanghai Daily September 7, 2005)