Man Dies From Rat Urine Infection After Allegedly Drinking From Unwashed Canned Drink

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.

A grieving father has spoken out about the tragic loss of his son, who died just days after falling ill

The father, Mohd Azizuddin Aziz, wrote on Facebook that his eldest son, Muhammad Ikmal Bin Azizuddin — affectionately known as Along — passed away on 17 July, shortly after a hiking trip.

The father shared that Ikmal had gone hiking with his friends last Sunday, 13 July.

"Along was always so strong and cheerful, his spirit could rival that of national athletes. They were all smiling broadly at the top of the mountain. They sent us many photos and videos," the father wrote.

On Monday, 14 July, Ikmal and his friends returned to work as usual.

However, on Tuesday, 15 July, Ikmal began feeling unwell. He was experiencing fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

The father said his son immediately sought treatment at a private clinic and took the medication prescribed by the doctor for fever and body ache. He even tried exercising, in hopes of sweating out the fever.

At the time, the family had no idea Ikmal was sick. They believe he kept it to himself so as not to worry anyone.

However, by Thursday, 17 July, his condition worsened. Concerned housemates took him to the clinic again, where he was immediately referred to Hospital Melaka.

Mohd Azizuddin said he only found out his son was seriously ill at this point

"I called him right away. He told me everything that happened, word by word. He thought it was just a regular illness at first," the father shared.

Desperate to reach him, the family rushed from their home in Kodiang, Kedah, to Melaka. During the five-hour journey, the hospital called to inform them that Ikmal's condition had turned critical. Mohd Azizuddin said the family wept the entire drive.

Unfortunately, Ikmal died before they could make it to the hospital.

During his final phone call, he managed to say goodbye to his parents and siblings before he was pronounced dead at 8.30pm. The family arrived at around 1.15am the next morning.

According to Mohd Azizuddin, Ikmal's cause of death was a "rat urine infection"

The family believes Ikmal contracted it during the hike, after drinking from a canned drink that hadn't been washed.

"The rat urine didn't come from a waterfall or a poisonous tree — it came from a canned drink that Along bought himself. He didn't wash it, just opened it and drank it during the hike. Out of the five hikers, only Along fell ill," the father wrote.

The father said the infection progressed rapidly, attacking his son's kidneys, lungs, nerves, and heart within four days.

He hopes his son's story will serve as a reminder to others.

According to the CDC, "rat urine infection" is a common name for leptospirosis, a bacterial infection spread through the urine of infected animals, especially rats

It can contaminate water and soil, and people often become infected through contact with or consumption of contaminated water — especially during outdoor activities such as swimming in rivers and waterfalls during hiking and camping, as well as during floods.

People will experience symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhoea.

Without timely treatment, the infection can lead to kidney failure, liver failure, meningitis, respiratory distress, and even death.