The two latest casualties, men in their 40s and 60s, died of leptospirosis — a disease associated with contact with wild and domestic animal urine.

"In this case, it is believed to be rat urine," Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said here yesterday.

The bacteria enters the body through broken skin or through the soft tissue on the inside of the mouth, nose or eyes.

The symptoms include high fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, conjunctivitis (red eyes), diarrhoea, vomiting, and kidney or liver problems (which may include jaundice), anaemia and, sometimes, rashes. Symptoms may last from a few days to several weeks.

One of the men who died was from Kangkar Tebrau and the other lived in Kampung Seri Purnama, both here.

Ghani said the threat of the outbreak of disease during floods was inevitable, and this was all the more reason why people stranded in villages should be evacuated to flood relief centres quickly.

"I cannot stress the urgency of evacuation enough.

"The longer people opt to stay in their flooded homes, the higher the chances of facing the threat of attacks and disease from animals."

Ghani said he had also directed the Health Department to step up public education programmes and carry out mass vaccination where necessary.

There was also a dire need to ensure cleanliness and hygiene at relief centres and mass kitchens where food was prepared for distribution to flood victims, said the menteri besar.

He said the danger posed by leptospirosis was serious as contaminated rat urine could easily be spread through water to humans.

"Health workers have been directed to look out for people showing symptoms of the disease and rush them to the nearest hospital to contain its spread."

Health deputy director-general Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat said his ministry and the state Health Department were monitoring the situation.

He cautioned people in Johor, especially those with abrasions, not to play in dirty flood water and to wear clothes that cover their bodies to prevent them from becoming infected.

Singapore students forced to turn back

KOTA TINGGI: Five busloads of students from Singapore on an excursion to Desaru were forced to turn back when floods made Jalan Kulai-Kota Tinggi impassable yesterday. The 150 students from the Anglo-Chinese School had hoped to spend five days there. "Desaru is our favourite destination because it is close to Singapore and is abundant with flora and fauna," said Robert Neo, the Singapore organiser of the camp. "The students could have learnt so much about nature. Now, we have no choice but turn back."


Relief centres may be used as schools

RAUB: "We will bring the school to the (flood) relief centres if the flood situation becomes critical," said Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. But he said the present situation had yet to warrant the ministry to do so. He added that the principals and headmasters of schools being used as relief centres could still hold classes for their students, especially those in examination classes. "We hope the headmasters and principals are proactive and will find ways to ensure that their students continue with their lessons."

Wildlife displaced

It was a rare sight that greeted some residents of Kota Tinggi yesterday — a wild boar swimming across a flooded street near the Federal Government complex. The animal was believed to have been forced out of the jungle by rising floodwaters. However, no one seemed to know whether it made it back to the jungle.