DAY out with the family by a river or waterfall. Kids splashing about in the water and enjoying a picnic with loved ones, just what could possibly go wrong?
Leptospirosis for starters.
Leptospirosis or kencing tikus (literally “rat urine”) is a bacterial infection caused by Leptospira spread through animal urine and is commonly contracted by swimming in contaminated water or coming into contact with floodwaters.
This was precisely the unfortunate experience encountered by Thread user wahidatul_ifa who recently shared that she will be avoiding popular picnic and bathing spots in Selangor.
This comes about after her husband was warded for two days at the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital before being transferred to Selayang Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).
Due to leptospirosis, her husband’s kidneys, liver and lungs were affected with skin and eyes displaying a tinge of yellowness.
Fortunately, his condition has stabilised but the wife has sworn she will no longer allow her loved ones to frolic in rivers and streams after this nasty episode.
The public service announcement warning fellow picnickers of this threat has generated 6.2K likes, 596 comments, 1.3K re-posts and 5.3K shares at time of publication, denoting that many are keen to raise awareness of leptospirosis.
Some concerned netizens claimed that there had been a spike in cases the last month, including popular picnic spots such as Janda Baik, Batang Kali and Ulu Yam.
A frequent stream swimmer proffered some useful advice – always rinse with water mixed with disinfectant post river dip.
He also admonished “unethical” litter bug day trippers for causing such incidences as rat infestations occur due to indiscriminate dumping of rubbish.
This warning to avoid bathing in streams and rivers was supported by a few other concerned Malaysians.
One claimed that her father no longer took the family for water fall picnics as a family member had passed away due to the disease while another revealed her “constant quarrelling” with her husband over bringing their toddler for a swim.
To underline that this is no laughing matter, one unfortunate lady shared that the disease which emmantled from contaminated flood waters claimed the life of her husband some dozen years before.
Sharing the experience of his father who contracted the disease, this commenter warned that contamination was not limited to rivers and streams.
His father was diagnosed after dining at a mamak restaurant, leading to a week’s stay in the ICU. Thankfully, the father survived the ordeal but still needs periodic check-ups (once every two months) at hospital.
Other potential causes were also highlighted. One eagle-eyed commenter warned that box and canned beverages should always be rinsed first before consumption as there may be rats in the store rooms.
One health-conscious commenter asked the pertinent question – how to know which areas are high risk for the disease. It was immediately pointed out it is usually crowded picnic spots where there’s plenty of food strewn around to feed the rats.
Others also responded by highlighting that too many Malaysians and foreigners lack the requisite civic consciousness aligned with poor enforcement from authorities has led to this scenario.
The advice was to avoid crowded popular picnic spots that has shallow, slow running water and even those that are near chalets and resorts as these retreats tend to dump its sewage into the stream.
With cases on the rise and the consequences of contracting leptospirosis are severe, it may be best to avoid picnicking at streams and rivers.
Better yet, those who like to indulge in river dipping should inculcate better cleanliness and hygiene routines to deter the spread of the disease. – July 16, 2026
