Virus that lives in rat droppings

From time to time, I write about the warning that I read regarding our health. It is not to scare you but to take the necessary precaution. Wala namang masama kung magiingat tayo, di ba? Gaya halimbawa ng virus that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings. The story has been circulating in the internet and I would like to share this with you in case you missed it.

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 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 any time. He 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. 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 rats’ 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.

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