The whole point of sharing a scare story, of course, is to make it as believable as possible so it will have its intended effect. It's possible but unlikely that someone actually died in the exact manner described. As most people know, rats do sometimes carry such diseases, but this message doesn't allude to that fact. The popularity of the current rumor may be associated with recent outbreaks in Asia and Central America of a rat-borne illness known as leptospirosis . The disease can be quite deadly but is curable with antibiotics.
Most people recover fully if treated in time.
It's certainly true that crates of canned soft drinks might be exposed to rodent traffic during storage at some locations, but doubtful that urine contamination is common. If the very idea makes you nervous, by all means wash your soda cans before consuming the beverage. Use SnagIt and Camtasia to add screen shots and video clips to your presentations or web pages. Subscribe to the About Freebies Newsletter and find the best free stuff on the Net.