Leptospirosis is caused by water contaminated by diseased animal urine. This time, they say it is rat urine.
Further, this is a Detention Centre at the KL International Airport (KLIA) - and does this also reflect on the state of cleanliness and hygiene at KLIA. Should we start advising users of the airport to stop drinking water there? Should we start telling them to not come into contact with water in the airport?
Leptospirosis very rarely is transmitted by contact with a human person suffering from Leptospirosis...Hence, we really have to ask why 6 people (and 2 earlier in May in Juru Detention Centre) died by reason of Leptospirosis. [See:126 groups:- Death of 2 Burmese Indicative of State of Detention Places in Malaysia - Denial of Healthcare Is a Violation of Right to Life ]
KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia) - AN OFFICIAL says six Myanmar migrants have died while in detention in Malaysia because of a suspected waterborne disease caused by rat urine.
The immigration department official says the six men - detained for being in Malaysia illegally - fell ill last month. They died in hospital days later. All six had complained of severe internal aches.
The official said on Friday the detainees were believed to have contracted leptospirosis, a disease from water contaminated by rat urine.
He said the detainees likely contracted the disease in another centre. They were transferred together with some 700 others after a riot there.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. -- AP- Straits Times, 25/9/2009, Migrants die in detention
A related report in Star shows that these deaths most likely happened KLIA Detention Centre.
SEPANG: Some 700 Myanmar illegal immigrants involved in a ruckus at the Semenyih immigration depot early this month have been moved to the department’s KL International Airport (KLIA) depot.
They would be under strict monitoring for at least a month, KLIA depot commandant Shainurin Shaari told The Star here yesterday.
He added that so far, they had been behaving well.
“We also provide them with extra food of their choice (which the detainees pay for themselves) and we allow phone calls and visits from family and friends,” he said.
Staff of Amnesty International visiting the immigration depot in Sepang.
“If they continue to behave well, we will allow them to carry out their own activities, such as gotong-royong, and to play carroms outside the dormitories.”
Those who display aggressive behaviour would be isolated in separate holding cells for two to three days.
The riot in Semenyih on July 1 was because “a few bad apples” instigated the detainees to act aggressively, resulting in fences, control posts and four detention blocks suffering extensive damage.
“Some of them were frustrated because it took a long time to process their documents. They were riled up and influenced the others,” Shainurin said.
“Many of them are frustrated because of documentation problems.
“The Myanmar embassy failed to recognise their nationality, so they are stuck here, he added.”
Shainurin said to hasten their repatriation, the department planned to obtain the necessary documents even as those convicted of illegal entry were still serving prison time.
The process could start as early as two weeks before they were due for release.
Currently, processing of documents begins only after an inmate is released.
“The new system will prepare them for repatriation once they are out of prison.
“This will also reduce the number of detainees in the depot as there will be no need for them to return here,” he said. - Star, 24/7/2009, 700 illegals involved in ruckus moved to another depot
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