Rats chew off baby’s thumb

A Cunupia woman who went to the Chaguanas police station to report the death of her baby, returned from the station only to discover that the right thumb of her  21-day old baby girl had been bitten off by rats.

The death of the baby occurred  at her home in Endeavour Road, Cunupia,  and the child is suspected to have died from leptospirosis. The baby who was not yet named was seen frothing from the mouth around 12.30 am yesterday. Her mother Indra Mangroo told police investigators that after feeding her baby she placed the child next to her on a bed at the western side of the house. She awoke around 5.30 am and on checking realised that the baby was motionless. Mangroo said that she left the child on the bed and made her way to the Chaguanas Police Station where she reported the incident. A party of officers led by Sgt Hoggart Lumy, Ag Sgt Ajith Persad and including Cpls Mckenzie, Aguilerra and WPC Edward Ali went to the scene. When officers arrived at the house they observed that the right thumb of the baby appeared to have been bitten off.

The back of the child was covered with a rash. The mother of the child claimed that the house was infested with rats and she was unable to rid the house of the rodents. She said that the rats had taken over her home. Mangroo said she made several attempts to have the authorities deal with the situation, but to no avail. Gopee Mangroo, the father of the child who is a farmer, was in a state of shock when he learned of the death of his baby daughter. District Medical Officer Dr Teelucksingh viewed the body of the baby and carried out initial tests. The doctor revealed that the child may have died from leptospirosis. The body was removed to the Port-of-Spain mortuary.

When Newsday visited the home of the child her distraught mother said that she is unsure where to get the money to bury her baby. She said that she is barely able to make ends meet, and now there was this death. She was still in a state of shock. Mangroo said that she is fed up of sharing a house with rats and was fearful for the safety of her entire family. She is calling on the Ministry of Health to assist her by ridding the area in and around her home of the rodents. Mangroo is the mother of five other children who all live at her home. Neighbours of the Mangroo family confirmed to Newsday that the area is infested with rats. Officers of the Cunupia Police Station are investigating.