Mouse, Rat Droppings And Health

[peter991]

I know there's a couple of threads running in the General Section about rats - but they deal with extermination. I was forwarded this email by a friend of mine which I will share. I am just wondering how true it is (urban myth or otherwise) as I have seen lots of rats in Thailand, many in convenience stores in Bangkok and along the riverfront.

A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom in Maui, Hawaii.

When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy and that he had noticed dried mouse/rat droppings in some areas. A couple of days later, he started to feel like he was coming down with a stomach flu, complained of sore joints and headaches, and began to vomit.

He went to bed and never really got up again. Within two days he was severely ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to 66, and his face and eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency at Pali-Momi, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from massive organ failure. He died shortly before midnight.

No one would have made the connection between his job and his death, had it not been for a doctor who specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried rat/mouse droppings at anytime. They said there is a virus (much like the Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings.

Once dried, these droppings are like dust and can easily be breathed in or ingested if a person does not wear protective gear or fails to wash face and hands thoroughly .

An autopsy was performed on the clerk to verify the doctor's suspicions...

This is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of canned sodas or foods, and to wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, and so on.

Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another, and stores themselves often have rodents.

Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruits but never think of boxes and cans.

The ugly truth is, even the most modern, upper-class, super store has rats and mice. And their warehouse most assuredly does!

Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap or, if that is not available, drink with a straw.

The investigation of soda cans by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta discovered that the tops of soda cans can be encrusted with dried rat's urine, which is so toxic it can be lethal. Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents, and then they get transported to retail outlets without being properly cleaned.

Peter

[gunnyd]

This story is an internet based Urban Legend

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blrats2.htm

Yes there are many diseases that rodents carry, but the story you cut and pasted is an Urban Legend.

The incorrigible GunnyD

[peter991]

Thanks for clearing that up. However, I will use straws in my cans of drinks from now on.

Peter

[egg6447]

urban myth?? i dont think so. what your story says is certainly true of rats, never heard of this with mice. that dont make me right. it sounds to me like your sick person died of WIELS decease. rats urine and feaces retains weils decease ad infinitem as far as i know. ive always understood that wiels decease is a one way ticket, haveing said that a friend of mine did servive it . i good way to loose wieght if you must. not recomended.

[katana]

I was thinking of Weil's Disease (or Leptospirosis) as well.

Although from Wikipedia it says:

...Leptospirosis is transmitted by the urine of an infected animal, and is contagious as long as it is still moist...

In the villages in Isaan you sometimes see signs warning of the danger of ROK CHEE NOO โรคฉี่หนู (Leptospirosis), so it's present there as well in the puddles and muddy ground etc.

[gunnyd]

urban myth?? i dont think so. what your story says is certainly true of rats, never heard of this with mice. that dont make me right. it sounds to me like your sick person died of WIELS decease. rats urine and feaces retains weils decease ad infinitem as far as i know. ive always understood that wiels decease is a one way ticket, haveing said that a friend of mine did servive it . i good way to loose wieght if you must. not recomended.

Yes it is an Urban Myth. If you clicked on the link you would have noticed that the text of the OP is verbatim to the Urban Myth e-mail that has been getting sent out.

The ever intrepid GunnyD

[bina]

leptospirosis is vectored by rats and mice and other mammals can get it: goats, dogs and ferrets as well as humans; that is why leptospirosis is a required vaccine for many mammals in countries that have lepto...(its part of some of the multi vaccine serums including :distemper hepatitis, leptospirosis parvovirus parainfluenza for dogs and ferrets for instance)

also, farmers working in fields that drink from irrigation sites or people drinking from water fountains and other water sources that have not been in use for a while should let the water run out for about ten minutes since most systems arent closed and rat and mouse urine is a problem ... its considered a work- related disease in israel for instance in israel for all farmers and anyone else working in sewers/irrigation/water systems/animal husbandry.

just one of the many many zoonoses u can get from living....

bina

israel

[Pushit]

I know there's a couple of threads running in the General Section about rats - but they deal with extermination. I was forwarded this email by a friend of mine which I will share. I am just wondering how true it is (urban myth or otherwise) as I have seen lots of rats in Thailand, many in convenience stores in Bangkok and along the riverfront.

A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom in Maui, Hawaii.

When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy and that he had noticed dried mouse/rat droppings in some areas. A couple of days later, he started to feel like he was coming down with a stomach flu, complained of sore joints and headaches, and began to vomit.

He went to bed and never really got up again. Within two days he was severely ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to 66, and his face and eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency at Pali-Momi, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from massive organ failure. He died shortly before midnight.

No one would have made the connection between his job and his death, had it not been for a doctor who specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried rat/mouse droppings at anytime. They said there is a virus (much like the Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings.

Once dried, these droppings are like dust and can easily be breathed in or ingested if a person does not wear protective gear or fails to wash face and hands thoroughly .

An autopsy was performed on the clerk to verify the doctor's suspicions...

This is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of canned sodas or foods, and to wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, and so on.

Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another, and stores themselves often have rodents.

Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruits but never think of boxes and cans.

The ugly truth is, even the most modern, upper-class, super store has rats and mice. And their warehouse most assuredly does!

Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap or, if that is not available, drink with a straw.

The investigation of soda cans by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta discovered that the tops of soda cans can be encrusted with dried rat's urine, which is so toxic it can be lethal. Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents, and then they get transported to retail outlets without being properly cleaned.

Peter

Not an urban legend check out:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hantavirus

[gunnyd]

urban myth?? i dont think so. what your story says is certainly true of rats, never heard of this with mice. that dont make me right. it sounds to me like your sick person died of WIELS decease. rats urine and feaces retains weils decease ad infinitem as far as i know. ive always understood that wiels decease is a one way ticket, haveing said that a friend of mine did servive it . i good way to loose wieght if you must. not recomended.

Regarding the specific claims in the email, an inquiry to the Hawaii Department of Health yielded the following response from Dr. Philip Bruno, Chief of the DOH Communicable Disease Division:

"The State of Hawaii Department of Health investigated this question last year, and has shared its findings with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The email is not true. There have been no known hantavirus cases in Hawaii. The email may be a hoax, or a misinterpretation of some other event."

URBAN MYTH!!!!