WARNING!

Fred Bonney · Jul 27, 2008

This is Serious...
This incident happened recently in North Texas .

A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. She died on Wednesday.

The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis.

Rat urine contains toxic and deathly substances. It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part of soda cans before drinking out of them. The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned.

A study at NYCU showed that the tops of soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets (i.e).. full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind ofinfection...

Merv Harrison · Jul 27, 2008

Possible Fred,.............but

urban legends

Fred Bonney · Jul 28, 2008

Happy10th birthday to this urban legend!

That aside, I think it's a good warning/reminder,about the peril in rat's pee.

My dad always used to have a go at me about drinking out of cans and bottles,he said lorry drivers pee on their loads!/forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif

John H Member of THE C.S.G.. & The A.T. · Jul 28, 2008

Good advice Fred. Some of the can out on display are really quite disgusting.

I suppose this could also apply to other canned stuff like peas, beans etc

Being a tight &rs@d Yorkshire-man I never buy drinks in a can... far too much wastage. I'll now have to make sure I clean bottle tops although I usually use tap water and keep a supply in the fridge.

Merv Harrison · Jul 28, 2008

Comments by Carla Homan: In case anyone was wondering why rats never took off as popular domestic pets, consider briefly their association with death and disease. With a list of horrors such as the bubonic plague, hantavirus and leptospirosis credited to them, it's no wonder people will so easily accept the notion that rats in and of themselves are lethal.

The fact is, the urine of a healthy rat is quite safe to consume... though I would recommend moderating your daily intake.

Wonder if you can buy it in cans ???.

Fred Bonney · Jul 28, 2008

I have a pair that run along my back fence,to the bird feeders.

can you milk a rat?/forum/smilies/eye_rolling_smiley.gif

Perhaps not,I'll stick to tap water!

NIGE K · Jul 28, 2008

i think you can milk rats i saw them do it on the simpsons once.

John Heelis · Jul 28, 2008

i seem to remember reading a similar story about a pub in manchester, rat pee and bottled beer.

being in manchester they probably were trying to milk rats aswell. (most likley to refil the bottles)

Fred Bonney · Jul 28, 2008

No wonder Boddingtons now tastes like p... oops,not Baitbox

Peter Jacobs · Jul 28, 2008

"Perhaps not,I'll stick to tap water!"

Fred,

Never, ever drink Water!

Fish Fkuc in it, and then you drink it?

[insert U-No-wot - - - - > HERE]

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Jul 28, 2008

They poo in it too.

Far better to drink a full bodied red or a cheeky little sauvignon blanc.

Wolfman Woody · Jul 28, 2008

I hate rats.

Second most hated creature in this country after wasps.

Merv Harrison · Jul 28, 2008

When we moved several years ago to where we are now, which is quite a 'snobby' area, Ithoughti'd make conversation withour next door neighbour, a blue rinse tory voter,

"What are the rates like round here ???"

"Oh" she replied, "We've no rates, only moice !!!"

John H Member of THE C.S.G.. & The A.T. · Jul 28, 2008

Without wasps there would be no wasps nests, if anyone still collects/uses them

Graham Whatmore · Jul 28, 2008

Nature put rats here for a reason - its just that we haven't fathomed out that reason.

If there were no rats can you imagine Jimmy Cagney saying "you dirty mouse" and when we get drunk would we be mouse-arsed?

Andy B · Jul 28, 2008

Depends on how drunk you get graham - i'm sure it's possible!

Phil Lambert · Jul 29, 2008

I seem to remember this subject being aired on national TV and connected with the increase in the consumption of bottles of alcopops. It seems that most imbibers of these drinks haven't mastered the complexities of drinking from a glass and swig from the bottle - which has been in a cellar or outside and susceptible to rat contamination. Nice one ratty.

Joking apart, Leptospirosis (Weil's Disease) is a nasty and potentially fatal disease. Anglers are advised to cover open wounds with waterproof plasters or even avoid getting the wound wet with the river or lake water. This advice does not apply to canoists who, as everyone knows, are immune to Weil's disease.

Carla Homan · Dec 3, 2008

"Comments by Carla Homan: In case anyone was wondering why rats never took off as popular domestic pets, consider briefly their association with death and disease. With a list of horrors such as the bubonic plague, hantavirus and leptospirosis credited to them, it's no wonder people will so easily accept the notion that rats in and of themselves are lethal.

The fact is, the urine of a healthy rat is quite safe to consume... though I would recommend moderating your daily intake."

Oh man. This was a joke, folks. Also, quite true.

-CH

p.s. please attribute the quote to the site that first published it, about.com's urban legends site. They paid for it.

Baz (Angel of the North) · Dec 3, 2008

Rats swim about in vats of beer in breweries.

trev (100M bronze) · Dec 3, 2008

wish i could swim around in vats of beer in breweries

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