Community Awareness Project
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.
Interactive Map
Recent Activity
Awareness
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, and leptospirosis is also a zoonotic disease, which means it can spread from animals to humans.
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.
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
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.
Research
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
These references were selected for relevance to Singapore, leptospirosis, rodent-borne disease, and the broader One Health relationship between animals, environment, and people.
