Rat Urine Deaths

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This message is a hoax. For more info refer to
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blrats.htm
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Following is a message I received from my sister. It details a
situation which may be spreading. Please take a few minutes to read it.

A while back Jo sent me an email about someone on the mainland
who had died from drinking a soda without washing the top of the can
first. The person was killed by the bacteria that live in dried rat urine.

Yesterday, Aki's very good friend, Dwayne Okita, died from similar
circumstances! Dwayne was a stockclerk for Radio Shack.

He was sent to Maui to clean up a storeroom at their Maui store. When
he got back he complained to Aki that the place was filthy, and he had
noticed rat or mouse droppings in some areas.

A couple of days later he thought he was coming down with stomach flu...
achy joints, headache, and throwing up. He went to bed and never really
got up.

Within two days he was feeling so weak, he called Aki on the phone to
please come over and check him out (he didn't want to alarm his parents
who are very elderly). Aki said his blood pressure had dropped to 66
and his face and eyeballs were yellow.

He rushed Dwayne to emergency at Pali Momi, where the doctor diagnosed
massive organ failure. He told Aki to notify all relatives as he didn't
think Dwayne had long to live, and transferred Dwayne to St. Francis
ICU.

The doctors at St. Francis fought to stabilize Dwayne, but he died
shortly before midnight.

No one would have ever connected his job with his death, but the doctors
at St. Francis specifically asked if Dwayne had been exposed recently to
rat or mouse droppings. They said a virus much Hanta virus lives in the
droppings, and when they are dried up, they can be inhaled or ingested
like dust.

An autopsy is being performed to confirm their suspicions, and tissue
samples have been sent to the CDC in Atlanta.

Please, please be extremely careful to wash the tops of all cans and
wipe off pasta and grain packages and cereal boxes before eating or
drinking.

Almost everything in a supermarket has been stored in a warehouse at
one time or another, and even the cleanest store often has mice and rats
(with all the years Aki and I worked in grocery wholesaling, we know
that for a fact).

Please pass this information on as you see fit.