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Student Dies, Rat Urine Infection May Be The Cause
ALOR SETAR: A polytechnic student, suspected to have been afflicted with leptospirosis (rat urine disease), has died at the Kulim Hospital.
The 18-year-old, whose identity has been withheld, succumbed to the disease on Friday at the intensive care unit.
Warning To Parents After Child Catches Deadly Disease From Rat Wee While Swimming At Tourist Spot
A CHILD contracted a rare and 'severe' infection caused by animal wee after taking a dip in a popular swim spot, a council has said.
Dedham Parish Council in Essex said the local student had contracted Weil's disease after swimming in an Essex river.
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A student suffered "a severe infection" of Weil's disease after taking a dip in a popular swim spotCredit: EPA4
The child fell severely ill after swimming in River Stour in EssexCredit: EPA4
Leptospirosis or Weil's disease can be spread by water contaminated with infected wee from rats and other animalsCredit: GettyThe child "suffered a severe infection after swimming in the River Stour at Dedham, and has been very poorly", it said.
In a letter published on its website, the authority said it was a "confirmed case of Weil's disease (leptospirosis) which can be very serious".
The Environment Agency said its latest samples "do not suggest any water quality issues" at sites designated for bathing in the river.
The disease is spread in the urine of infected animals, most commonly rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.
People can contract Weil's disease if soil or freshwater - such as water from a river - containing infected urine gets in their mouth, eyes or a cut.
Most people who get Weil's disease have no symptoms or only experience mild flu-like symptoms.
However, some people can get seriously ill from the disease, according to the NHS.
Symptoms may include high temperature, headache, body aches and pain, stomach ache, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, red eyes and yellowing of the skin or white part of the eyes.
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ONGOING INVESTIGATIONSThe River Stour straddles the Suffolk and Essex border.
Everything you need to know about the nasty water-borne parasite affecting Devon, with Professor Paul Hunter from U. East AngliaDedham Parish Council said it wanted to ensure that both students and parents were aware of the risks involved before choosing to swim at Dedham.
The site becomes increasingly popular during the warmer months, with people travelling to have picnics by the water and swim or use stand up paddleboards or kayaks, the BBC reported.
Dedham Parish Council said the Environment Agency is undertaking monitoring in the river at Dedham.
The parish council added that local environmental group Pace (Practical Actions for Climate and the Environment) Manningtree is "investigating the impact of untreated sewage released into the river by the sewage works at Dedham".
Meanwhile, the Environmental Agency issued a navigation advisory notice for Dedham and all waterways, asking "river users [to be] especially aware and take sensible precautions in a bid to reduce the risks of infection of all waterborne illnesses".
What are the symptoms of Weil's disease?
WEIL'S disease - also known as leptospirosis - is an infection rarely seen in the UK, which is spread through the wee of infected animals.
Most commonly, this includes rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.
You can get leptospirosis if:
Most people who get leptospirosis have no symptoms, or mild flu-like symptoms. But some people get seriously ill.
Symptoms of leptospirosis may include:
You should see a GP is you think you've been exposed to to infected pee, water, or soil and have the above symptoms.
You'll usually be given antibiotic tablets to treat the infection. Most people recover in a few days or weeks.
It's important to finish the course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better.
Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve any aches, pains or a high temperature.
If you have severe symptoms, you may need to be treated in hospital.
Source: NHS
It urged anyone planning to take a dip in the river to cover up cuts, abrasions and open wounds to prevent infection from entering the body, redressing them if necessary between dips and practising good hand hygiene.
"Be conscious of your entry and exit routes to and from the river and where animals may have been present, as this is the most likely source of infection," the agency stressed.
It also urged swimmers to "shower as soon as possible if in contact with river water and always sanitise hands, especially before consuming food."
The case comes amid growing anger over the polluted state of England's rivers and coasts.
The council said it wanted to warn, "in addition to the risks of Weil's disease and pollution", of several other "serious safety concerns" about a site at the river at Mill Lane.
These include a report that a young boy "gashed his foot open" last weekend, with litter including glass bottles and cans regularly left in the area and posing a hazard.
There are also reports of metalwork underneath a bridge where many children jump from, and where the water can be "dangerously shallow".
Meanwhile, around 16,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area of Devon have been told not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first due to a number of confirmed cases of a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said last week that 46 cases of cryptosporidium had been confirmed and that more cases were anticipated.
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Where faecal bacteria was detected in tap water in 2022Rats And Urine-stained Mattresses: Maui Fire Survivors Say FEMA Housing Has Been A Disaster
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USSurvivors of the devastating 2023 Maui fires say they are being forced to deal with rodents and falling apart homes in their federally funded living quarters months after the wildfires.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Direct Lease program helps wildfire survivors find short- and long-term housing as their communities rebuild. More than 1,300 people are part of the program. Now, ABC News reports some FEMA program members have been in unhygienic and unstable living situations.
Charles Nahale, a Maui fire survivor, told the outlet he was relocated several times through the FEMA program, once with only a day's notice. Nahale told ABC News he was also assigned to a studio apartment with broken cabinets and curtains.
"These two representatives at FEMA, they seemed to put the fear of God in us, that if you don't take this property, you're going to be kicked out, most likely, and you'll be on your own," Nahale said of the experience.
Timothy Putnam, another survivor, told ABC News he has been matched with four units through FEMA — many of which had horrific conditions.
"The first unit...Didn't come up to code electrically," Putnam told the outlet. "The second unit was horrifying, rat infested, with a lot of urine on mattresses, and incredibly dirty. That was super simple. I didn't have to say no to that one because the FEMA agents that were there were horrified, as well."
Survivors of the devastating 2023 Maui fires say they are facing concerning living conditions in an emergency housing program. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)"The third unit, you know, was far from where I wanted to be because I just started working again on the west side," he continued. "And the commute was going to be difficult, but at least it was a roof over my head."
Meanwhile, FEMA told The Independent that "survivors are our No. 1 priority."
"All units require an inspection and we make sure the house is safe, livable, sanitary and functional before anyone moves in," a spokesperson for FEMA said. "If any of the survivors living in one of the properties experiences any issues, we urge them to contact their caseworker so we can correct the situation. If a unit doesn't meet the requirements of inspection, that property will not participate in the program until the issue has been corrected and another inspection has been conducted."
Despite it all, Putnam told the outlet he's grateful to have housing.
"I do have a roof over my head and I have since August 17th because of [Hawai'i Governor Josh Green], State of Hawai'i, FEMA, and the Red Cross," he told ABC News. "They have kept me housed and it's a pretty amazing thing. Right? So, there's a lot of flaws in the system, but overall, I've been looked after, and I'm grateful for that."
Nahale told ABC News he is growing anxious as the end of FEMA housing approaches. However, the Hawai'i governor has since announced efforts to build temporary housing in Lahaina set to finish this year, before FEMA help expires.
Burned cars and propane tanks with markings on them sit outside a house destroyed by wildfire, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)"FEMA help ends in February of 2025, and they have us in places where the rents are so high," Nahale said. "Every day it's getting a little closer and you, you get into knots wondering what's gonna... How I'm going to survive. What's gonna happen now?"
The Maui fires, which ripped through Lahaina on August 8, killed more than 100 people. Over a year later, authorities are still trying to determine how the fire started and how emergency crew responses can be improved.
In April, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez released the first phase of a three-part investigation. That report revealed that officials struggled to communicate amid the disaster, there were few escape routes as the fire raged and resources were thin, the Associated Press reports.
This story was amended on June 17 to include comment from FEMA.
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