'Poor kids have no idea how dangerous it is': Children handling rat at Bedok playground spark safety concerns

[UPDATED: May 10, 12.24pm]

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson for East Coast Town Council said they are aware of the video and that they had already initiated rat treatment in the area about a week ago.

The treatment is still ongoing, she added. "Nevertheless, following feedback on this incident, we will implement further measures to address residents' concerns."

The town council urges all residents to securely seal all rubbish bags before disposal. Food remnants and improperly disposed rubbish attract pests, contributing to their rapid breeding and infestation.

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

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

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

In the video, the boys, who look to be in school uniform, are playing at the playground when they spot the rodent.

They take turns to use their slippers as "gloves" to hold the rat, even running around and going on the playground slide while doing so.

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

In the post, Wong said he had given feedback to the East Coast Town Council about two weeks ago regarding a "rat issue" but had not received a response.

Some netizens who saw Wong's post expressed concern for the boys, saying that rats carry numerous diseases and handling them improperly could be a hazard.

One wrote: "Poor kids have no idea how dangerous it is. Later [if they] forget to wash hand, and go take food, good luck!"

"That's crazy... I hope you went to warn the kids to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and told their parents. They need to watch out for... diseases," said another netizen.

Can cause serious illnesses

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

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

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

"Rats may have rabies...Especially those that are behaving abnormally and not able to run away – even higher chance [it] is infected," said one.

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

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