Rat urine disease may have killed Briton

Rat urine disease may have killed Briton

A former British athlete working as a language teacher in Trang province has died of suspected leptospirosis, a water-borne rat urine disease, after falling ill for just 10 days.

Colleagues pay their last respects to language teacher Justin Acklan, a British national, who died of suspected rat urine disease on Dec 18, at a church in Trang. (Photo by Methee Muangkaew)

The death of Justin Acklan, 38, a Briton who taught English at Wichienmatu School in Trang's Muang district, caught relatives, teachers and students off guard as he was healthy and was not believed to have come into contact with factors that would cause the disease.

Leptospirosis is often transmitted by animal urine, usually from rodents, or by water or soil containing animal urine coming into contact with breaks in the skin, eyes, mouth, or nose.

Mr Acklan died on Thursday after being admitted to Wattanapat Trang Hospital where he was diagnosed with leptospirosis, his Thai wife Oranut Ackland, 38, said on Saturday.

Mr Acklan, a former cyclist in England, cycled every day and never fell ill, said Ms Oranut. However, he complained of muscle aches and fever on Dec 9. He was taken to the hospital where a doctor tested his blood for possible dengue fever and he was advised to rest at home.

On Dec 13, he developed a cough, fever and muscle pains and was rushed to the hospital again, where a medical specialist found that he had been infected with the rat urine disease. However, his symptoms were not serious and could be cured, Ms Oranut quoted the specialist as saying.

However, her husband’s condition continued to worsen. He suffered more muscle pain and headaches and could not sleep. On Dec 15, He underwent a thorough health check where he was found to have developed symptoms similar to meningitis. He received treatment at the hospital but was pronounced dead on the afternoon of Dec 18, said his wife.

Ms Oranut raised doubts about the cause of her husband's death as she said she had never seen any rats in her house in Trang. Her husband neither came into contact with rodent urine nor went to any areas at risk of the water-borne disease.

She said she wanted authorities to look into his death to find out the real cause.

Sathaporn Muangmanpian, a teachers' representative, said the death of the British teacher was an enormous loss of the school. He was loved by colleagues and students.

Mr Sathaporn also called for an investigation into his death. If leptospirosis was found to be the cause, measures had to be taken to prevent the outbreak, he said.

Dr Withoon Luangdirok of the provincial public health office said on Saturday that he would seek information from Wattanapat Trang Hospital about the medical treatment of the British patient.

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