Dangerous rodents are surrounding the capital and prowl in every corner of our cities.

The rodents never feel hungry because the gutters and the streets are full of various discarded food items. They do not have to worry about problems such as famine or hunger; they can live in calm and peace for years.

If the rise in the number of mice continues unabated, they'll soon become a member of our family at the lunch table. That would be a shame for a city like Tehran.

Most of the mice in Tehran are Norwegian mice. The length of some reaches 47 centimeters.

Each mouse reproduces 4 times a year, giving birth to an average of 6 offspring. Inattention to correct ways of trash separation and disposal are the main causes of the mice problem. Easy availability of water, food, and shelter are the main factors behind the phenomenal increase in the number of pests.

Diseases such as food poisoning, oriental sore, typhus, and jaundice are all transmitted by mice. The Manager of Tehran's Health and Pollution Control Department, Majid Majidi, said, "Wherever foodstuffs are present or consumed, the mice are also present. The population of mice is on the increase. Tehran has the necessary conditions for the mice to multiply. Since we do not give much priority to research in the field of pesticides, eradication of mice is proceeding slowly."

Behrouz Gharibpour, the mayor of the Green Area of Tehran (District 6), recommended that residents of Tehran change their shopping habits; for example, by not buying fruits in large quantities, because buying too much fruit means producing more trash, which in turn leads to rising numbers of harmful pests.