Fact Check: Does Rat Faeces Cure Appendicitis as Claimed in Viral Video?
Claim: A self-proclaimed apostle, Ibraheem Niass Sheikh Kusfa, claimed in a viral video that rat faeces can cure appendicitis if dissolved in water and administered to patients.
Verdict: False! No scientific evidence supports the claim that rat faeces has any curative properties for appendicitis. On the contrary, contact with rat faeces poses serious health risks, including infections such as leptospirosis, hantavirus, and salmonellosis.
Full Text
On June 7, 2025, a 39-second video (archived here) surfaced on Facebook, featuring Ibraheem Niass Sheikh Kusfa—a follower of the flamboyant Zaria-based cleric Sheikh Usman Kusfa Zaria, widely known as “Rigi Rigi.” In the clip, delivered in Hausa, a widely spoken language in Northern Nigeria and parts of West and Central Africa, Kusfa claimed that rat faeces can cure appendicitis if dissolved in water and administered to the patient.
Quoting from his statement: “Faeces from rats cure appendix. Gather enough of the rat’s waste, and soak it in water to dissolve. Once it’s dissolved, administer it to the appendix patient. As long as the patient is consuming it, God will instruct the appendix to melt and pass out through excretion. Even if it is children that consume chaff that brought about the appendix, God will instruct the chaff to turn to ‘gari’ (powder) and pass out through excretion.”
Kusfa’s page has more than 200,000 followers, and the video quickly gained traction. Reactions varied from alarm to blind support. Some praised his “wisdom,” while others condemned the statement, warning about the public health risk of following such unscientific advice.
One follower, Mubarak Sodangee, commented, “May God grant you more wisdom.”
Another account, Sheikh Islam, wrote, “It is true, even the pee of a donkey.”
However, a concerned user, Sani Garb, replied, “Anyone who takes rat faeces and dies as a result, knows that you have committed murder.”
The spread of health misinformation under the guise of religion or cultural belief systems remains a significant challenge in Nigeria. This is especially concerning when such claims are communicated in Hausa, the predominant language of Northern Nigeria, which is widely spoken across the country by an estimated 54.7 million people.
Over 60% of the population in Northern Nigeria speaks Hausa as either their first language or a lingua franca. Due to its widespread use as a trade language, it is among the most spoken languages in Central Africa, when both first and second-language speakers are considered. It also serves as a medium of instruction in schools, a language of governance, and is heavily used in broadcast and print media.
Given Hausa’s extensive reach and influence, misleading health claims delivered in Hausa pose a particularly high risk of being accepted and propagated widely, thereby endangering public health on a larger scale.
Public health officials continue to battle deeply rooted myths around vaccines, treatments, and disease causation, making it imperative to fact-check and counter such misinformation.
Verification
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a small organ located at the lower right side of the abdomen. If left untreated, it can lead to a ruptured appendix, sepsis, and even death. Appendicitis is a medical emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The standard treatment is surgical removal (appendectomy), which is often followed by antibiotics to prevent or treat infection.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of appendicitis include severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Is rat faeces useful in the treatment of Appendicitis?
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We conducted keyword searches and found no legitimate scientific research that supports the idea that ingesting rat faeces can cure appendicitis. We reviewed current scientific consensus in many medical and surgical literature, such as StatPearls, MDPI (Multidisciplinary Publisher Institute scientific journal), SAGES (The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons), Mayo Clinic, and WSES Jerusalem (World Society of Emergency Surgery), but found nothing that supports the claim. We also reviewed other supporting medical sources like MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), NHS UK (National Health Service – UK), and the NIDDK – NIH (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases).
Abdulaziz Bako, a US-based medical doctor and a Population Health and Outcomes Researcher, described the claim as deeply troubling, emphasising that it remains scientifically unproven.
“This is egregiously false and extremely dangerous,” he said.
He explained that such ingestion can cause a range of dangerous diseases and may even cause a plague that can bring about a devastating epidemic.
“This is really, really dangerous, and I think such reckless statements should not be allowed to go unpunished. Some form of action should be taken to curb such really troubling statements and claims,” Abdulaziz said.
He further emphasised the need for some level of regulation in traditional and alternative medicine by Nigerian medical authorities because “this is pure quackery.”
Also, Maimuna Ahmed, a public health physician at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, described the claim as “extremely reckless.”
Appendicitis is an acute medical condition that can become fatal without surgical intervention. Encouraging people to consume rat faeces is essentially encouraging them to poison themselves,” she added.
Rat faeces linked to dangerous diseases
According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rat droppings can transmit several severe and potentially deadly diseases, including leptospirosis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, salmonellosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM)—each extremely hazardous and life-threatening to human health. This contradicts the claimed benefits.
Leptospirosis is a severe bacterial infection that humans can contract through contact with rat faeces or urine. If left untreated, it can progress to life-threatening complications such as kidney or liver failure.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a rare but deadly respiratory disease caused by inhaling particles contaminated with rodent droppings. It leads to flu-like symptoms that can rapidly escalate to severe breathing difficulties and death.
Similarly, Salmonellosis is an intestinal infection commonly spread through food or surfaces contaminated by rats. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and high fever.
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is a viral illness transmitted by rodents, which can cause a range of neurological damage in humans, from headaches and stiff necks to more severe complications like meningitis and encephalitis.
A 2023 review published in the International Journal of Medical Parasitology and Epidemiology Sciences identified urban rodents as one of the top sources of zoonotic disease outbreaks, especially in developing nations with inadequate public health infrastructure.
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) also lists contact with rodent waste as a significant risk factor for Lassa Fever, a disease endemic to parts of Northern Nigeria.
In summary, no credible, scientifically based information shows that rodent faeces can be used to treat appendicitis or any disease. The only recognised therapeutic application of faecal matter is human stool in microbiota transplants, and this occurs only in highly regulated medical settings using human donor material, not animal waste.
Public figures and influencers—especially those with religious or cultural authority—must be held accountable for spreading dangerous misinformation, says Zekeri Idakwo, a misinformation analyst at PRNigeria. “Health should never be subjected to baseless experimentation or spiritual trial-and-error.”
Conclusion
The claim that rat faeces cures appendicitis is false. No scientific study or medical expert supports this claim. Ingesting rat faeces can cause severe infections and death. The public is advised to seek proper medical care for appendicitis and avoid unverified remedies that can compromise their health or that of loved ones.
