Rats pose serious problem: Better test kits need to be developed so that public can check on rats urine to know leptospirosis

The population of rats in the country has grown into a serious problem for cities and residential areas, as reflected by the alarming rise in cases of leptospirosis, commonly known as “rat urine disease”.The Health Ministry's disease control division recorded 3,665 leptospirosis cases last year, a whopping 85.5% increase from the 1,976 cases recorded in 2010, with 69 deaths. In 2011, there were 2,268 cases with 55 deaths. Despite the sharp rise in cases, the death rate continued to decline in 2012 with 48 deaths recorded.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/6/1/nation/13185384&sec=nation