Silchar, Oct. 22: The Mizoram government has issued an alert for a possible outbreak of plague. The proliferation of rats during the seasonal flowering of bamboo plants is giving nightmares to the state administation.

The warning came following reports that the rodents had the potential of carrying germs of fatal diseases, including plague.

The director of animal husbandry and veterinary Sangmghina said the investigating teams of his department had collected about 90 rats, which had fed on bamboo flowers.

The rats were taken for examination in the department’s laboratory in Aizawl to check if any of them showed symptoms of plague and other infectious diseases.

He confirmed that some species of rats had shown the potential of spreading the disease.

The official added that Mizo farmers in the remote jhum fields had already been warned against their habit of trapping field rats.

The farmers used to feed on rats to stave off hunger.

The veterinary department has warned not to catch rats with their bare hands as such a practice might spread infections.

The blooming of bamboo flowers has already started in Kolasib district, according to sources in the Aizawl agriculture department.

The mautam famine, which devastated Mizoram last time in the early sixties, is scheduled to recur in 2007.