Perhaps polio shouldn't be my only fear ...

As I was enjoying my first can of diet coke this morning after a very exciting TA meeting, I get the following email from my loving mother:

This incident happened recently in North Texas. A woman went boating one Sunday taking with her some cans of Coke which she put into the refrigerator of the boat. On Monday she was taken to the hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit. She died on Wednesday.The autopsy concluded she died of Leptospirosis. This was traced to the can of Coke she drank from, not using a glass. Tests showed that the can was infected by dried rat urine and hence the disease Leptospirosis. Rat urine contains toxic and deathly substances. It is highly recommended to thoroughly wash the upper part of soda cans before drinking out of them. The cans are typically stocked in warehouses and transported straight to the shops without being cleaned. A study at NYU showed that the tops of soda cans are more contaminated than public toilets -- full of germs and bacteria. So wash them with water before putting them to the mouth to avoid any kind of fatal accident.

EWWWW!! I immediately poured my diet coke into a cup.

Which will prevail: my love of cans of diet coke at work or my fear of infectious diseases???