Community Awareness Project

Rat Watch SG

Help map rat sightings and leptospirosis cases across Singapore so neighbours, pet owners, and families can make safer choices and better understand zoonotic disease risks.

This project was inspired by the loss of an 11-month-old puppy to leptospirosis in February 2025. We hope this map turns grief into action, awareness, and protection for the wider community.

Learn the risks

Interactive Map

Track sightings across Singapore

Click anywhere on the map to capture detailed coordinates.
Rat sighting
Leptospirosis case
Total reports 0
Lepto cases 0
Selected location None yet

Recent Activity

Sighting feed

Awareness

Why this matters

Leptospirosis risk

Rats can spread bacteria through urine-contaminated water, puddles, drains, soil, and surfaces. Dogs are especially at risk when sniffing or drinking in contaminated areas.

What pet owners can do

Avoid stagnant water, keep dogs away from drains and obvious infestations, wash paws after walks, and speak to a vet about vaccination and symptoms to watch for. You can also use our companion tool to check whether weather and air quality are suitable for a walk before heading out.

Pawcaster

What this map is for

Community reports can help people choose safer walking routes, identify repeated hotspot areas, and create more visible awareness around both environmental exposure and real disease impact.

This map raises awareness and helps neighbours share information, but urgent municipal follow-up should also be reported through OneService under Pests > Rodents.

Official Reporting

Also report to OneService

To help the relevant authorities take follow-up action, please also submit the case through the official OneService channel under Pests > Rodents.

Include the location, a photo if you have one, and any details about repeated sightings, drains, food waste, or nearby dog walking routes.

OneService App and Chatbot

Research

Singapore scientific references

Rodent-borne pathogens in Singapore

Griffiths J, Yeo HL, Yap G, et al. Survey of rodent-borne pathogens in Singapore reveals the circulation of Leptospira spp., Seoul hantavirus, and Rickettsia typhi. Scientific Reports. 2022.

This is the most directly relevant paper for the map. It found Leptospira in sampled rodents in Singapore and supports the public-health case for rodent reporting and sanitation action.

PubMed | Free full text

Occupational leptospirosis risk in Singapore

Chan OY, Chia SE, Nadarajah N, Sng EH. Leptospirosis risk in public cleansing and sewer workers. Annals Academy of Medicine Singapore. 1987.

An older but important Singapore study showing elevated leptospiral antibody prevalence in higher-exposure workers, especially those cleaning wet markets and food centres.

PubMed

Singapore clinical case report

Foo CCY, Leow EHM, Phua KB, Chong CY, Tan NWH. A Case of Kawasaki Disease With Concomitant Leptospirosis. Global Pediatric Health. 2017.

This Singapore-authored case report highlights how leptospirosis can be clinically challenging and mistaken for other diseases, reinforcing the need for awareness and early suspicion.

PubMed | Free full text

Ticks on dogs and cats in Singapore

Kwak ML, Ng A, Nakao R. Nation-wide surveillance of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on dogs and cats in Singapore. Acta Tropica. 2025.

Not a leptospirosis paper, but highly relevant to the broader zoonotic-disease mission because it focuses on companion animals in Singapore and vector-borne exposure pathways.

PubMed

Pets and human-health risk in Singapore

Hartantyo SHP, Chau ML, Fillon L, et al. Sick pets as potential reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Singapore. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control. 2018.

This paper broadens the One Health framing by showing how pet illness can intersect with human health risk in Singapore, even beyond classic rat-borne infections.

PubMed | Free full text

These references were selected for relevance to Singapore, leptospirosis, rodent-borne disease, and the broader One Health relationship between animals, environment, and people.