Indian expat in Dubai dies after suspected rat fever during vacation in Kerala

Dubai: An Indian expat in Dubai, who was on vacation in his hometown in Kerala, has died after contracting suspected leptospirosis, commonly known as rat fever, his family has told Gulf News.

Teejo George, 48, died at a hospital in Kannur on Saturday, just two days after being admitted with diarrhoea and body pain that doctors attributed to suspected rat fever, his brother Reejo George said over the phone.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease that spreads mainly during the rainy season. According to the World Health Organisation, people usually contract it through contact with water, soil or food contaminated by the urine of infected animals (particularly rodents), which enters the body through cuts or mucous membranes.

In the first phase, people may have fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea. The person may feel better for a while but become ill again. Some people may suffer a more severe second phase with kidney or liver failure, or inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Teejo, who worked as a senior sales supervisor with an engineering consultancy company in Dubai, is survived by his mother and two brothers in Kerala and his wife and three school-going children in the UAE.

Announcing his death on social media, his company said Teejo had joined on March 1, 1999 and dedicated more than 27 years of service to the organisation. It described him as someone who had become far more than a colleague, remembered for his kindness, humility, warm smile and the joy he brought to those around him.

“His unwavering dedication, positive spirit, and the relationships he built over the years have left a lasting mark on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. His passing leaves a void that cannot be filled, and he will be deeply missed by all of us,” it added.

Hundreds of people, including some friends and colleagues who flew down from the UAE, attended Teejo's funeral on Sunday.

Kripesh Cheruthottumkara, director, Group Purchase & Logistics at the company, who was also on vacation in Kerala and rushed to the hospital after Teejo was admitted, described it as a personal loss.

“Teejo was the one who received me when I landed at Sharjah International Airport in 2005, and we were roommates for three years until he got married and brought his wife along,” Kripesh told Gulf News over the phone on Monday.

“I am so sad that he went too soon, and his wife Smitha and children could not see him alive as he had left us by the time they arrived from Dubai.”

Kripesh said Teejo was an asset to the company. “He was the longest-serving employee at our company and had been honoured for his 25 years of service just two years ago. He was my right hand in everything related to supply chain. He knew everyone in the industry, and every road in Dubai and Sharjah. Once you handed a job to Teejo, you could consider it done. Beyond his professional excellence, he was a true asset to everyone who knew him, always the first to help if someone was in need.”

Another close friend echoed similar sentiments, recalling Teejo's readiness to support others. “I have seen him go out of his way to help people with pending hospital bills, or with documentation for passports, visas and other paperwork,” the friend said.

“He also helped many people find jobs and assisted students with school admissions through his contacts. He loved the UAE dearly and was especially proud that his company was part of the MBZ-SAT satellite project by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. He was also active in community events organised by his family's church and the Emirates Malayali Nurses Family group, of which Smitha is a member.”

Teejo's sudden death has left his college friends heartbroken. Their sorrow is deepened by the timing, just three weeks after he attended a reunion with his pre-degree batchmates from Nirmalagiri College (NGC) in Kuthuparamba, held 30 years after they left their alma mater. The classmates honoured their former teachers and brought out a souvenir magazine on the occasion.

Cynthia Risa Joseph, a classmate who travelled with Teejo on the same flight to attend the reunion, named Rewind '96: S1A-NGC @30, said: “I never imagined he wouldn't make the return trip to Dubai. His untimely passing was a huge shock to our entire class, and we are still struggling to come to terms with it. He was more than a friend; he was family and so is Smitha. Teejo and I could talk for hours, argue about all sorts of things, and still reach out to each other the very next day.”

Cynthia recalled him as the voice of their WhatsApp group, always sending voice notes to keep everyone active and connected. “He was also the happiest of all of us about the reunion and played a major part in tracking down some of our classmates and inviting many to come. We made so many beautiful memories while planning it and on the day itself. We never imagined those memories would become our parting gift to him.”

Balagopal G, another classmate from Dubai, who flew back to Kerala again for Teejo's funeral alongside Cynthia, said friends from different parts of the world had been mourning his loss. “I was thrilled to go for the reunion that blossomed through a group that I had created. But I never thought we'd be meeting again so soon, this time to bid farewell to our dear friend,” he said.

“Teejo stayed in touch with almost everyone in the group, regularly calling and sending voice notes. He was always the life of the party whenever we friends got together in Dubai. The whole class was overjoyed after our reunion, and now we are at a loss for words, trying to console each other after losing one of the most active among us.”

Sona Martin, a classmate based in Abu Dhabi who also attended the reunion, said: “It will take time to accept that our Teejo is no more. He left behind so many loving memories with us, and I am sure he did the same for many others he crossed paths with. He was one of the first to call me after I moved to Abu Dhabi. Even though we hadn't spoken in a while, it never felt that way; it felt as if we had met just the day before. He always kept the people around him happy. Teejo will forever remain in our hearts.”