Specialists of the Institute of Agricultural Microbiology and Agro-Industrial Production of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine have developed a new method of fighting rodents in agriculture and agricultural premises.
The developed drug was named "Antimyshyn". Its action consists in infecting mice with typhus: at first, the activity of rodents increases, but within a few days they become weak, stop eating a lot and eventually die from hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract.
Microbiologists noted that the differences of "Antimyshin" from chemical preparations lie in its safety for humans and animals. At the same time, this microbial drug is lethal for mice and affects the entire colony of rodents.
Natalia Kravchenko, head of the probiotics laboratory of the Institute of Agricultural Microbiology and Agro-Industrial Production of the National Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained that "Antimyshyn" is effective against various mouse-like rodents common in agriculture, such as voles, house mice and others. The drug causes hemological lesions that lead to hemorrhages in the rodent's gastrointestinal tract.
In addition, the use of "Antimushyn" does not require repeated treatments, since one infected mouse can re-infect all other members of the colony.
Today, this drug also shows practical importance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Videos showing mice in the personal belongings and food supplies of the Ukrainian military are widely discussed on social networks. According to volunteer Serhiy Romanchuk, the batch of "Antimyshin" was already handed over to defenders from the First Tank Siver Brigade, and they left a positive feedback about its effectiveness.
