Beware of rat urine disease in floodwaters

KUALA TERENGGANU: The East Coast Environmental Research Institute (Eseri) yesterday advised the people to avoid dipping themselves in floodwaters for too long or too often to prevent contracting leptospirosis or rat urine disease.

According to Eseri, which is based at Sultan Zainal Abidin University, floodwaters are often contaminated with all kinds of bacteria.

Its director, Assoc Prof Dr Hafizan Juahir, said the bacteria can enter the human body through cuts or cavities or if a person accidentally drinks the water.

“Ensure that food waste and refuse are placed in closed containers such as rubbish bins or plastic. Food waste and refuse can attract diseasebearing animals to homes, especially in flood-hit areas,” he said.

He added studies done on cases of leptospirosis showed that clinical characteristics and environmental and socioeconomic factors were closely associated with the disease.

He said an outbreak of the disease usually occurs after a flood caused by heavy seasonal rain, like what was happening now in the country. – Bernama