Mom: Wimbledon Player Was Poisoned With Rat Pee

Cops investigating after teenage British player spent 4 days in intensive care
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 11, 2016 6:44 AM CDT
Mom Thinks Wimbledon Player Poisoned With Rat Pee
Gabriella Taylor in action at Wimbledon.   (John Walton/PA, File via AP)

Was a teenage Wimbledon player poisoned with rat urine? Police are investigating claims that 18-year-old British player Gabriella Taylor, who abandoned her quarterfinal match against American player Kayla Day last month after becoming ill, was given food or drink contaminated with a potentially deadly bacteria, the Guardian reports. Taylor initially thought she had food poisoning, but during the four days she spent in intensive care doctors discovered that she had a rare strain of leptospirosis, which is found in the urine of infected animals. "It is unknown where or when the poison was ingested," police said in a statement. "No arrests, inquiries continue."

Taylor's mother tells the Telegraph that Taylor was "staying in a completely healthy environment" where it would have been "impossible" for rat urine to contaminate her food or drink. "The bacteria the infection team found is so rare in Britain that we feel this could not have been an accident," the mother says. "Her bags with her drinks in were often left unattended in the players’ lounge and someone could have taken the opportunity to contaminate her drink." According to the Telegraph, police will investigate whether a shady betting syndicate or a jealous rival could have poisoned Taylor, who has now returned to training after a month off. (These players threatened to pee in a ball can at Wimbledon.)

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