A 76-year-old man almost died from getting bitten by a rat that was in his toilet.
The unnamed man, from Montreal, Canada, rushed to hospital after the rodent bit two of his fingers while he tried to fish it out of the loo, where he was given a tetanus jab by doctors and sent home.
But 18 days later, the man was back in the hospital with severe fever, headaches, and abdominal pain for several days.
Although his finger wounds had mostly healed, the man's blood pressure was low and his heart was beating extremely fast.
Initial blood tests showed that the patient's kidneys were damaged and that his blood had a low number of platelets – the fragments of cells that form clots to prevent or stop bleeding.
The man was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he was found to be suffering from multi-organ dysfunction and sepsis- a dangerous phenomenon in which an infection sends the immune system into overdrive.
After taking blood and urine samples, it was eventually discovered he had contracted an infectious disease called leptospirosis, believed to have been transmitted by the rat bite.
The man was given antibiotics, as well as other treatments to address his kidney damage and low platelet levels. After a few days, his symptoms improved and he was discharged from the ICU.
People generally contract Leptospirosis after coming into contact with the urine of infected animals or with contaminated soil or water.
The disease is usually carried by farm animals such as cattle, pigs or horses, but can also be spread by dogs and raccoons, and in this case, a rat.
Although it is typically transmitted through bacteria making contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth, it can also enter the body through broken skin. Drinking contaminated water can also lead to infection.
Those suffering from the disease often develop symptons such as fever, headache and muscle pain, which can later lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and a skin rash.
Despite most cases being easily treated with antibiotics, approximately 10% of cases become severe and can lead to multi-organ dysfunction and death.
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