‘Poor children have no idea how dangerous it is’: Children handling rats at Bedok playground raises safety concerns, Singapore News

Most people would squirm or even run away at the sight of rats.

But not these four children, who were caught on camera picking up and playing with a rat at a playground in Bedok South.

The video, accompanied by photographs, was posted on Facebook group Complaint Singapore by user Michael Wong on Wednesday (May 8) and caused safety concerns among netizens.

In the video, the children, who appear to be in school uniforms, are playing on the playground when they see the rodent.

They take turns using their slippers as “gloves” to hold the rat, even running and climbing the playground slide as they do so.

In one photo, one of the children is seen holding the rat with his bare hands.

In the post, Wong said he had given his opinion to East Coast City Council about two weeks ago about a “rat problem” but had not received a response.

Some netizens who saw Wong’s post expressed concern for children, saying that rats carry numerous diseases and that handling them incorrectly could be dangerous.

One wrote: “Poor kids have no idea how dangerous it is. Later (if) they forget to wash their hands and go looking for food, good luck!”

“That’s crazy… I hope they went to warn children to wash their hands well with soap and told their parents. They have to be careful with… diseases,” said another Internet user.

It can cause serious illness.

Rodents such as rats and mice carry a wide range of disease-causing bacteria and viruses, such as leptospirosis, hantavirus and salmonella, according to pest control company Rentokill’s website.

As a result, rat infestations can cause serious illness in humans with symptoms ranging from high fever, rashes, and cough to organ damage and even death.

Some netizens also mentioned the possibility of children contracting rabies from the rat.

“Rats can have rabies… Especially those that behave abnormally and can’t run away; the chances of them being infected are even higher,” said one.

Although all mammals are susceptible to the rabies virus, including humans and rodents, the majority of human infections in Singapore were due to dogs, according to the National Center for Infectious Diseases website. It also states that rabies has not been reported locally since 1953.

AsiaOne has contacted Wong and East Coast City Council for more information.

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