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In the last few days a message is being distributed through electronic mail, alerting to a danger of disease reputed to be acute leptospirosis transmitted by small rodents or some domestic animals. It is said that dry urine of those animals on cans, containing beverages, can cause a disease terminating in death. The same type of a letter with identical contents circulated the electronic network a year ago and, now, it may have returned to the territory of the Czech Republic.

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority assures the consumers to have no information available on the acute leptospirosis, which would be induced due to cans contaminated with infected animal urine. Nevertheless, CAFIA recommends, for preventive reasons, to pay increased attention to personal hygiene, and if possible, to wash thoroughly the cans containing beverages prior to drinking them or not to drink a beverage directly from the can.

The regulations currently in force impose a duty on the businessmen to provide for appropriate hygienic conditions all through the chain of food production and distribution. In addition, they also have to provide for the protection of food from pests, to take care of adequate disinfection and protective rat extermination, and, moreover, they are supposed to dispose continuously of the wastes arising in the course of food production, which could attract rodents and other pests. The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority performs ongoing inspections of hygienic and sanitary conditions in production premises, distribution and sales of food, and in case of non-compliance, it imposes adequate corrective actions or penalties on the controlled businessmen or entities.  

The consumers, however, should also be aware that the packaging is to protect a foodstuff from depreciation as well as from potential contamination. In other words – the packaging is supposed to catch harmful microbial contamination that might potentially result in a disease. It is therefore obvious that the surface of packaging may be contaminated.

Although there is no acute danger of any disease, including leptospirosis, it is better to wash the cans containing beverages.