The Health Ministry will intensify awareness programmes on the danger of leptospirosis, a disease caused by exposure to

infected rat urine which posed a great danger to the public.

Its minister Liow Tiong Lai said all district health offices had been instructed to intensify such campaigns and monitoring in high risk areas particularly at waterfalls, camping sites, stalls and restaurants.

"Restaurant and eating stall operators are often reminded to maintain cleanliness and members of the public must also be wary because many of these cases occur in areas where there are many rats such as near waterfalls and camping sites.

"If there are body wounds, the germs will quickly spread and the infected person must immediately seek treatment. This is bacteria and not virus, so there are antibiotics that can kill these germs," he told reporters after attending the Kedah MCA assembly in Alor Setar today.

In Kedah, he said, only one person had been confirmed dead due to the disease so far while three others had been admitted to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital, Penang after going for a picnic at the Lata Batu recreation area in Baling.

Liow said the three patients who were infected with the bacteria had been discharged from hospital.

"We have also received reports of five isolated cases in the state comprising three cases at the Yan Hospital, one case at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Sungai Petani and one case at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar and all the patients are now undergoing treatment," he said.

The minister said he had also directed officers at the Health Department to monitor recreation areas in Kedah which were infected with the bacteria.

He said the recreation areas concerned were the Taman Rekreasi Puncak Janing in Kuala Nerang, Taman Rekreasi Lata Bayu in Baling and Taman Rekreasi Bukit Wang in Kubang Pasu which had been closed temporarily for cleaning.

"Water samples from these areas have been taken and we will announce when these areas are free from the bacteria," he added.

- Bernama