St James's Hospital in Dublin is treating a man with a suspect case of Weil's disease - a serious poisoning disease which in the past has been traced to rats' urine.
The man, who has undergone surgery to remove a limb, was recently caught up in the River Tolka flooding of his family home in the Richmond Road area of Dublin. He is currently in intensive care. Locals say he spent a long time in the floods helping neighbours evacuate and became ill immediately afterwards.
Following the man's hospitalisation, local councillors, members of the Flood Distress Committee and residents have called for an immediate start to flood prevention works which have been costed by Dublin City Council at up to €8 million. The city council has said the flood works will take about 28 months following financial commitment, to complete.
Weil's disease is officially a notifiable disease and while the Eastern Regional Health Board said yesterday it had not been notified of any case of Weil's disease, sources close to St James's Hospital acknowledged that Weil's disease "was a suspect cause" of the man's illness.
The case has heightened fears among locals whose worst fears up to now have been in relation to water damage to their homes. The chairman of Dublin City Council's local area committee, Councillor Gerry Breen (FG), said health fears were now to the fore. Offering his sympathy to the man concerned Cllr Breen said he believed the flooding stemmed from restrictions including culverting of the Tolka which were put in place downstream, between Fairview and the sea.
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