Poisoning with mouse droppings. Mouse fever - how to protect yourself from a formidable infection? Mouse fever in men, women, and children

Sometimes, having noticed traces of the vital activity of mice in the country or in the shed, people are in no hurry to start the fight against the gray invasion. It seems to them that one mouse will not cause much damage, and it is not worth killing it cruelly. By this position, they endanger the health of adults and children.

Since rodents can be carriers of many diseases, including mouse fever, which is very difficult for humans to carry. Often children who play in the yard suffer from this kind of "love for animals". The symptoms of mouse fever in children are not easy to identify because they are similar to many other diseases and the consequences can be very serious.

In more than a thousand victims, pathogens attacked the kidneys. Almost one in ten of them had to be temporarily associated with dialysis. “If symptoms suddenly turn into acute renal failure, it will be critical for those affected, without artificial blood loss, they will die,” warns Thomas Benzing, a nephrologist at the University Hospital Cologne.

Hantaviruses in Germany are transmitted by rotary mice, firefighters and field mice. Hiking trails can also contain pathogens. The animals themselves are not threatened by microbes. Viruses in mouse feces are blown away by the wind. However, pests are abundant in the excrement and saliva of rodents. Hantaviruses are blown away by the wind, especially during the warm, dry summer months. Strollers or joggers who move in a supposedly healthy environment breathe excited dust. Almost one to two percent of the population in Germany already has antibodies against viruses in their blood - so this group of people should have had contact with them already.

False positive serological results can occur with legionellosis and leptospirosis. Different cutoff values are also used. In some reference laboratories, polymerase chain reaction methods can be used with tissue samples, such as resected heart valves, with greater sensitivity than serum assays, but they are usually not commercially available. It should also be reserved for seronegative patients for the next 2 weeks and not used 4 weeks after initiation.

Preventive and control efforts should be directed primarily at these groups and the environment. Educate the public about the sources of infection. Dispose of placenta, birthing products, fetal membranes and interrupted fetuses properly in sheep and goat housing facilities. Limit access to barns and laboratories used to house potentially infected animals. Use only pasteurized milk and dairy products. Use appropriate procedures for bagging, autoclaving, and washing laboratory clothing.

In medicine, mouse fever is most often called hemorrhagic. The first number in the risk group are men 20-50 years old. It is at this age that they most actively work in their summer cottages and rural farmsteads.

After adult men, children from 3 to 15 years old are considered the second most frequent infections, who willingly mess around in the dust, forget to wash vegetables and fruits before eating, and rarely wash their hands. This virus is least often detected in women.

Quarantine of imported animals. Ensure that sheep housing facilities are located away from human settlements. However, this vaccine is not commercially available in the United States. Individuals wishing to be vaccinated should first undergo a skin test to determine a history of previous exposure.

An animal vaccine has also been developed but is not available in the United States. Doxycycline is the first line of treatment for all adults and children with severe illness. The use of antibiotics other than doxycycline or other tetracyclines is associated with a higher risk of severe illness. Doxycycline is most effective in preventing severe developmental complications if it starts early in the disease. Therefore, treatment should only be based on clinical suspicion and should always begin before laboratory results are returned.

Children under three years of age rarely get sick. At this age, adults look after their food and hygiene.

Infection mechanism

The main carriers of the hemorrhagic (mouse) fever virus are vole and rat mice. The rodents themselves do not get fever, they are only carriers. The virus is excreted along with the urine or feces of the animal.
If the patient is treated within the first 3 days of illness, the fever usually subsides within 72 hours. Severely ill patients may require longer periods before their fever resolves. Patients should be treated at least 3 days after the fever subsides and until there is evidence of clinical improvement.

The standard treatment duration is 2-3 weeks. Children with mild illness who are less than 8 years old can be treated with cotrimoxazole, but therapy should be switched to doxycycline if their disease worsens. In cases of life-threatening doxycycline allergy and in pregnant patients, doctors may need to consider alternative antibiotics.

A person becomes infected:

Using the air-dust method, inhaling the contaminated air in the room where the rodents have appeared.
Alimentary way (absorption through the mucous membrane of the alimentary tract), using contaminated water or food.
By contact, by touching infected objects or directly to rodents.

But the virus cannot be transmitted from person to person, so it is safe to take care of the sick.

The standard treatment duration is 18 months. Its bodies of water appear to be associated with any mammal, but mites can also be reservoirs. The clinical picture is very pleomorphic and includes severe forms with a poor prognosis. Most often, acute cases are present as asymptomatic infections, like flu-like syndrome, like pneumonia or hepatitis. Host factors are likely to play an important role in the development of chronic diseases, which can manifest as negative blood-denying endocarditis or infected aneurysm.

What do the symptoms look like in children?

Although most often the disease occurs in men, let's start, nevertheless, by considering the symptoms in children. Since this category is the most defenseless, it is not able to take care of its health itself.

The first symptoms in children can appear as a week after contact with an infected object, and after a month and a half. Parents may confuse them with the onset of acute respiratory infections or an intestinal disorder.

Therefore, the diagnosis should be considered in cases of unexplained fever, especially if the fever recurs after contact with potentially infected mammals. The best diagnostic tests are those that allow direct detection of bacteria. With regard to indirect specific diagnosis, the method used must be very sensitive and must detect antibodies at the onset of the disease. Although many methods have been described, the immunofluorescence method is the reference method.

He is very specific and sensitive. The presence of cross-reacting antibodies should be investigated by cross-adsorption followed by Western blotting in Western Europe. Cox, a virus-derived infectious agent isolated from ticks. ... This can lead to a potentially fatal illness that occurs in one of two ways: either hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, characterized by bleeding and renal failure, or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, characterized by heavy breathing.

It looks like this:

the child's temperature rises, often up to 40 ° C;
joints and muscles begin to ache;
lymph nodes increase;
he is shivering, he cannot get warm in any way;
there is nausea, vomiting from time to time;
headaches or migraines begin;
vision deteriorates, becomes blurry;
bleeding from the gums and nose appears.

So the disease manifests itself for about three to four days. Then the symptoms disappear and the parents relax, but the recovery does not actually occur. Children begin to develop tachycardia and renal failure. This phase is most dangerous because severe kidney damage can lead to the death of the child.

The pulmonary form of the disease is more serious. The virus is mainly transmitted to people when they breathe air that has been contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the air when rodent urine, droppings, or nest materials are shaken. Then people breathe in this "fog" and this leads to infection. It is possible that the virus can be transmitted by rodent bites, direct contact with rodent urine and feces. It is possible that rodent urine and droppings contaminate food, so that foodborne disease can be transmitted.

Can hantavirus be spread from person to person? Also, the virus cannot pass through a blood transfusion. Where are hantaviruses found? Hantaviruses are found in China, Korea, Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as the Americas.

Symptoms in adults

In an adult, the symptoms of fever are very similar to those described above, but there is still a difference. In addition to fever, headaches, nausea and decreased vision, a rare pulse, a drop in blood pressure and a hemorrhagic rash are added.

In women, men and children, the disease proceeds in several stages:

How long does it take to get sick after exposure to rodent waste? The incubation period is not known for certain, but it is likely that symptoms usually develop between 1 and 5 weeks after exposure to fresh urine, tagging, or saliva from infected rodents.

Early symptoms: Include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, especially in large muscle groups - the hips, thighs, back, and sometimes shoulders. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Late symptoms: develop four to ten days after the initial phase of the disease. These include coughing and shortness of breath, with a choking sensation when the lungs fill with fluid. However, we know that if infected people are recognized early and receive care in the intensive care unit, they can do better. In intensive care, patients are intubated and receive oxygen therapy to help them in times of severe respiratory distress.

Incubation period.
Its duration is from 7 to 45 days.
The initial stage is the first 3 days.
During this period, a very high temperature, headaches, thirst and weakness.
Oligouric stage - from the third day, duration up to two weeks.
The most difficult period of the disease. Added to the initial symptoms are kidney damage and decreased urination. In difficult cases, urine flow may stop completely.
The polyuritic phase, which is characterized by a decrease in symptoms.
Kidney function is gradually normalized, and urination is restored. Nausea and vomiting go away, but the body is emaciated and weakened.
The recovery stage, at which the disease recedes and recovery occurs.

How is mouse fever treated?

Moreover, early recognition and supportive care can improve the outcome of this severe illness. The spread of numerous diseases throughout the world. Diseases spread directly to humans: through contact with mice, saliva or urine, mouse bites and simple contact. Mouse diseases, however, can also spread indirectly: ticks, fleas and ticks that fed the infected mouse at one point and then transmitted the infection to humans.

Diseases that mice can transmit

Hantavirus is a life-threatening disease transmitted by rodents, especially deer mice. The virus is found in rodent urine and feces, but this does not make the sick owner sick. It is believed that humans can get sick if they come into contact with contaminated nest dust or mouse droppings. However, hantavirus does not spread from people to people. Three of the confirmed cases were fatal.

Since the disease is very difficult, it must be treated in a hospital setting. The infectious disease doctor makes the final diagnosis and prescribes. This is usually a comprehensive course that includes antipyretics, pain relievers, and antiviral drugs.

If necessary, droppers are prescribed and hemodialysis is performed. If there is a risk of blood clots, then anticoagulants are prescribed.

Early symptoms of the disease include chills, muscle aches and fever. Symptoms can quickly worsen: dry cough, headache, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, and general malaise. Treatment may include: a breathing tube or machine, oxygen, medications to treat kidney problems, and reducing the risk of death.

Salmonella is a disease caused by bacteria. It is spread when mice and other rodents, such as rats, contaminate food or work surfaces where food is cooked. Common symptoms that develop in people who become infected with Salmonella include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that last up to 7 days. Young children and the elderly are at a higher risk of salmonella. In recent years, numerous outbreaks of Salmonella have been associated with rodents, especially feeding rodents.

The drugs are selected with the least effect on the kidneys, so as not to aggravate their damage.

Vitamins are prescribed to maintain and restore the body. Group B and C drugs are especially useful.

How to avoid getting infected?

Prevention measures are actually very simple. It is necessary to avoid contact with rodents, to destroy them at the first signs of settling in residential buildings or outbuildings.

Several diseases in mice are transmitted indirectly through insects such as ticks and fleas

Lymphocytic choriomenenitis

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a rodent-borne viral infection that causes serious neurological problems, including aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. It is primarily carried by the domestic mouse, but hamsters in contact with wild mice in pet stores can also carry the disease.

It is transmitted by the faeces of the mouse. Experts are worried: what will happen if much more dangerous Hanta tribes are found in Germany? The high temperature does not expire for several days. The head, back, abdomen and limbs hurt like a severe flu. Some of the affected people have dizziness, others may suddenly stop seeing acute. A walk to the toilet reveals another unpleasant surprise: the urine is pumped only rarely.

When going outdoors, pack food tightly in metal containers, wash your hands more often, and avoid spending the night in abandoned houses and in haystacks.

By observing simple precautions, you can protect yourself from contracting the hemorrhagic (mouse) fever virus. But if the infection did occur, then you should not self-medicate, since the consequences can be very sad. Take care of your health!

Mouse fever- a disease that is caused by a virus that has consequences that are dangerous to human life. The first symptomatology of fever is similar to the common cold, therefore, it is very difficult to diagnose and prescribe the correct therapy at the initial stages of the progression of the disease.

Self-treatment with the help of traditional medicine recipes will lead to disability, in rare cases, death is possible. Therapy of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome requires timely hospitalization in medical institutions.

Reasons for infection

Field mice and Norwegian rats are carriers of this disease.... Infected animals do not get sick themselves, but only spread the virus. It is excreted in the urine and feces of mice. The routes of infection with fever are divided into three types:

Airborne dust, in which a person inhales dust containing particles with an infection.
Alimentary method in which food or liquid is consumed with the secretions of diseased mice.
Contact type, which involves contact of damaged skin with contaminated objects or the rodents themselves containing the virus.

It is worth noting that fever is not transmitted between people.

The main place of introduction of the virus is the mucous membranes of the bronchi and intestines. Then it spreads throughout the body through the blood, which is manifested by toxic phenomena in the patient. In the future, the infection enters the vascular cells, disrupting their functioning, because of this, hemorrhagic rashes appear. The fever virus is eliminated from the body through the kidneys, so their tissues are also negatively affected, causing a decrease in the production of urine. The outcome of the progression of the disease depends on the severity of renal dysfunction.

Manifestations in adults

During the development of infection is distinguished by several successive stages:

During recovery, the state of the body, the functioning of the kidneys, normalizes, skin rash and swelling disappear.

A rapid rise in body temperature and severe fever are the main symptoms of this fever. Other symptoms include migraines and frequent vomiting. Other signs appear depending on the state of the patient's immunity, his gender and age:

Symptoms of the oliguric stage:

Severe dehydration.
Renal failure
Conjunctivitis.
Anuria, that is, a complete absence of urination.
Severe swelling of the face.
Minor bleeding under the skin that looks like a rash.
In rare cases, mental clouding, manifested by delirium, is possible.
Toxicological shock.
In addition to the above signs of mouse fever, symptoms in men are complemented by sexual dysfunction and bleeding from the gums.

When the first symptomatology appears, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, since the disease, without proper treatment, is fatal.

Diagnosis of the disease

In most cases, fever can be determined by characteristic symptoms, but in some cases, for a more accurate diagnosis, a laboratory study is performed, which includes general and biochemical blood tests, serological test and PCR analysis.

When a person is infected with a virus, they are hospitalized, since therapy must be under the constant supervision of an infectious disease doctor. A sick person is obliged to adhere to all the prescriptions and recommendations of specialists, which include bed rest for 4 full weeks and a special diet with an increased dose of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Medication is used exclusively to treat fever, but physical therapy may sometimes be given. The following groups of drugs are mainly used:

Analgesics.
Antihistamines.
Antipyretic drugs.
Isotonic solutions.

If the disease has a severe course, that is, severe renal failure and frequent toxic shocks, the treatment process is transferred from the usual department to the intensive care unit. Also, a large number of glucocorticoid drugs, hemodialysis and blood transfusion replenish the standard list of drugs and procedures.

Complications

Incorrect or late treatment can provoke many disorders in the functioning of organs and various body systems:

Azotemic uremia... It happens when there is too much damage to the kidneys. For this reason, poisoning of the body with its own metabolic products begins. There is a constant feeling of nausea. Due to the cessation of urine excretion, a sick person ceases to respond to external stimuli and cannot normally perceive the environment.

Acute cardiovascular failure, which develops against the background of toxic shock. The skin becomes bluish and cold. The pulse reaches 160 beats per minute, and the pressure readings drop sharply to 80 mm.

Hemorrhagic complications such as hemorrhages in the kidneys, which most often occur during transportation of the patient, with severe pain in the kidney area. Violation of the integrity of the kidney capsule due to improper movement of a person and severe subcutaneous bleeding in the abdominal cavity.

The appearance of pathogenic bacteria, which manifest themselves in the form of pneumonia and pyelonephritis. List the effects of mouse fever in men is complemented by impotence due to disruption of the urinary system.

Fever prevention

In natural foci of the spread of infection, it is quite difficult to avoid infection, since while working in the fields, hunting or hiking and collecting mushrooms, there is a high probability of infection due to negligence. To avoid this, it is necessary to carefully check items and food that are stored in places accessible to rodents. These products should be carefully washed and heat treated. Residents of rural areas are advised to wear a special protective suit before working in the fields or in the forest, which can protect against such a disease.

Prevention of mouse fever means the elimination of all possible sources of infection, that is, rodents, cleaning the premises from thickets of grass and waterloggedness, as well as preventive conversations with people at risk about how they get infected with mouse fever.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or "mouse fever" is an acute viral natural focal disease characterized by fever, general intoxication, and a kind of kidney damage. It is dangerous because, if treatment is not started on time, the disease will hit the kidneys and can even be fatal.

The disease begins suddenly - the temperature rises sharply to 38 - 40 degrees, the head hurts badly. On the 3-4th day, a rash on the skin in the form of small hemorrhages may appear. Bleeding occurs from the gums, nose. Due to kidney damage, pain in the lower back and abdomen appears.

The virus is transmitted to humans mainly by airborne dust. When people are infected in summer, the most common alimentary route (infection of food with secretions of infected rodents or dirty hands while eating). The disease is not transmitted from person to person. Most often, rural residents and tourists are ill.

Diagnostics:

In the first period of the disease, it can be difficult to recognize. It can be distinguished from acute respiratory diseases by the absence of a runny nose, cough and other symptoms of respiratory tract damage, and from intestinal infections - by the late appearance of abdominal pain and vomiting, which only intensify with the course of the disease.

The main diagnostic sign is a sharp decrease in the amount of urine and a deterioration in the patient's condition after normalization of body temperature. Laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis of HFRS is also possible.

Symptoms and course :

The incubation period lasts from 7 to 46 days (most often from 21 to 25 days). During the course of the disease, the following periods are distinguished: initial, oligouric (period of renal and hemorrhagic manifestations), polyuric and convalescence.

The initial period lasts from 1 to 3 days and is characterized by an acute onset, an increase in body temperature to 38-40 ° C, which is sometimes accompanied by chills. A severe headache appears (but there is no pain in the brow ridges and eyeballs), weakness, dry mouth, signs of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract are not observed. When examining patients, there is a hyperemia of the skin of the face, neck, upper chest. The conjunctiva appears; sometimes you can notice a hemorrhagic rash. In some patients, the onset of the disease may be gradual, and 2-3 days before the disease there may be prodromal phenomena (weakness, malaise, catarrhal phenomena from the upper respiratory tract). From the side of internal organs in the initial period, it is not possible to identify special changes.

Period from 2-4 to 8-11 days of illness. The body temperature remains at the level of 38-40 ° C and lasts until the 4-7th day of illness, however, a decrease in body temperature is not accompanied by an improvement in the patient's condition, more often it even worsens. The most typical manifestation of this period is lower back pain of varying severity (sometimes they begin at the end of the initial period). The absence of pain after the 5th day of illness with the severity of fever and symptoms of intoxication raises doubts about the diagnosis of HFRS. In most patients, 1-2 days after the onset of lower back pain, vomiting occurs up to 6-8 times a day or more. It is not related to food or medication. At the same time, abdominal pains appear, and bloating is often noted.

When viewed during this period, the skin is dry, the face and neck are hyperemic, hyperemia of the mucous membranes of the pharynx and conjunctiva persists, there may be a slight swelling of the upper eyelid, the scleral vessels are injected. Hemorrhagic symptoms appear.

The characteristic manifestations of the disease include kidney damage. It manifests itself in puffiness of the face, pasty eyelids, a positive symptom. Oliguria develops from 2-4 days, in severe cases it can reach anuria. The content of protein in the urine significantly increases (up to 60 g / l), at the beginning of the oligouric period there may be microhematuria, hyaline and granular cylinders are found in the sediment, sometimes long rough "fibrin" cylinders of Dunaevsky appear. Residual nitrogen builds up. The most pronounced azotemia occurs by the 7-10th day of illness. The normalization of the residual nitrogen content occurs in 2-3 weeks.

The polyuric period begins from the 9-13th day of illness. Vomiting stops, pains in the lower back and abdomen gradually disappear, sleep and appetite are normalized, the daily amount of urine increases (up to 3-5 liters), weakness, dry mouth persists, gradually (from 20-25 days) a period of recovery begins.

Treatment:

Treatment is carried out in the infectious diseases department. Anti-inflammatory treatment is prescribed, normalization of urine excretion. Drugs that increase kidney damage are not used.

Prevention:

Reduced to measures to protect against rodents when outdoors. So, thickets of grass should be avoided, and food supplies should be stored in places and containers inaccessible to mice.

Complications:

Azotemic uremia (impaired renal function),

Kidney rupture

Eclampsia (seizures with loss of consciousness)

Acute vascular insufficiency,

Pulmonary edema,

Focal pneumonia.

Mouse fever is a dangerous viral disease, which is characterized by manifestations of high body temperature, general intoxication of the body and effects on kidney tissue. Experts use the definition of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and the expression "mouse fever" is used among the population.

Oriental , identified on the territory of Korea, China, Primorsky Territory of the Far East of the Russian Federation, the carrier of the infection is small field rodents. The virus can cause dangerous forms of the disease with an unfavorable outcome in 20% of cases;
West , is found mainly in the central part of Russia and a number of countries in Eastern and Western Europe. The existence of the virus in endemic areas is supported by representatives of the bank vole. Symptoms of the disease appear in a milder form, with a mortality rate not exceeding 2% of the number of cases.

The virus does not harm the body of mice, just as there is no human infection from sick people.
The main source of existence for the natural focus of infection is the presence of a large population of rodents living in these areas.

The seasonality of the appearance of infection, with the onset of cold weather, is associated with the migration of rodents to the places of residence of people. In the spring, most of the sick did not observe basic safety measures when working in the territories of gardens and vegetable gardens in areas where there were infected rodents.

Infection routes:

The entry of the virus into the respiratory tract with dust particles from the remains of the vital activity of rodents;
Eating foods that rodents from the natural focus of infection could come into contact with;
Through minor injuries of the skin, during the spring cleaning of the territory where the rodents were.

The main place of introduction of the virus is the cells of the mucous membrane of the bronchi and intestines. Subsequently, viruses reproduced by cells penetrate the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, which is manifested by toxic phenomena in a sick person. Subsequently, they enter the cells of the vessel walls, disrupting their functions, which causes hemorrhagic phenomena in the patient. The virus is excreted from the body with the help of the kidneys, so their tissues are exposed, which makes it difficult for urine to form. The outcome of the development of the disease depends on the degree of disorder of the functions of the kidney tissues.

Signs and symptoms of mouse fever.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is found in most cases in men between the ages of 16 and 50.
The symptoms of the disease appear in accordance with the period of development of the infection. In the clinical picture of the onset of symptoms, 5 stages are distinguished:

Treatment of mouse fever in men.

Mouse fever is a disease caused by a virus that can have life-threatening consequences. The first signs of a viral infection are similar to those of a cold, which makes it very difficult to diagnose and prescribe the correct treatment.

The desire to independently, with the help of traditional medicine, to cure this disease will in most cases lead to disability, and a lethal outcome of the development of infection is not excluded.

Treatment of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome requires hospitalization in a hospital.

From the first day of being in a hospital, it is necessary to observe bed rest: the virus causes changes in the walls of blood vessels, therefore, severe bleeding in the internal organs is possible. The length of bed rest is determined by the attending physician. Depending on the patient's condition, this period can last from 2 to 6 weeks.

Complications caused by hemorrhagic fever.

This infection is detrimental not only to the influence of the virus, but also to other health disorders:

Azotemic uremia. It occurs when the kidneys are severely damaged by the hemorrhagic fever virus. Poisoning of the body with its own metabolic products occurs, as a result of a significant violation of the excretory activity of the kidneys. There is a feeling of nausea, repeated bouts of vomiting. The flow of urine stops, the sick person does not respond to external stimuli and loses the ability to adequately perceive the environment;
Acute cardiovascular failure. It can develop against the background of toxic shock at the onset of the disease. The skin becomes cold, a bluish tint appears. The pulse reaches 160 beats per minute, the upper blood pressure readings quickly drop to 80 millimeters of mercury;
Hemorrhagic complications:
Hemorrhages in the kidney tissue, which can occur during patient movements, with severe pain in the kidney area.
Violation of the integrity of the kidney capsule due to improper transportation of the patient and severe bleeding into the abdominal cavity.
The appearance of bacterial infections in the form of the development of pneumonia or pyelonephritis.

Disease prevention.

Vaccines for this virus have not been created, therefore it is necessary to carry out the required measures to prevent the disease:

Conclusion.

Hemorrhagic or murine fever is a disease caused by a specific virus that leads to impaired renal excretory function. Self-treatment at home can provoke serious consequences for the patient.

The mouse fever virus is constantly present in natural foci in the vast territories of the Russian Federation. The initial symptoms of a viral illness are similar to those of a common cold. If you are in areas where you can get this infection, you need to be well aware of its symptoms and distinguishing signs in order to prevent severe development of the disease.

The risk group for such a disease is men, women get sick less often.

Here you can watch a video about the symptoms of mouse fever

Mouse fever - how can you get infected?

Few of us adore mice that live in their burrows and go out from there in search of their food, when everything is calm around and there are no people nearby. Having found food for their food, they not only spoil and gnaw them, they thereby spread the causative agent of a dangerous disease.

Mouse fever is an acute viral disease, the causative agent of which is carried by vole mice, domestic mice, and Norwegian rats. The rodents themselves do not get sick, but they can transmit the pathogen by inheritance. The release of the virus into the external environment occurs through the excrement of rodents. Given the recent increase in the population of murine rodents, the possibility of contracting murine fever is increasing.

Among the ways of infection, doctors distinguish the following:

Airborne dust path - by inhalation of dust containing viruses in the dried excrement of rodents.

Alimentary route - when eating food or water that is contaminated with secretions with viruses.

Contact path - through direct contact of damaged human skin with objects contaminated with excrement with viruses, or through direct contact with infected rodents.

Very often, infection occurs when sweeping the floor in forest huts, when cleaning in basements and sheds, when eating contaminated water or food.

A sick person is not dangerous to others, so the disease is not transmitted from person to person.

Mouse Fever Symptoms

The incubation period - the period from the moment of infection until the first signs appear, lasts from a week to one and a half months.

During this period, patients do not even suspect about the disease. After about 2-3 weeks, the first signs of the disease appear, the disease enters the initial period, which lasts 1-3 days.

The disease in adults is characterized by an acute onset: the temperature rises sharply up to 40 degrees, the fever is accompanied by chills. Severe headache, eye pain and photophobia, visual impairment (blurred objects and a mesh in front of the eyes), hemorrhages in the sclera of the eyes, nosebleeds occur. Patients complain of muscle and joint pain, general weakness and dry mouth, nausea and vomiting. On examination, reddening of the skin of the upper half of the body is observed, and the appearance of a hemorrhagic rash in the area of the sides of the body and armpits. Blood pressure decreases, pulse decreases.

In children, the clinical picture of the disease is not much different from that of adults, the initial period of the disease is longer for them, the symptoms develop gradually and they can be noticed 2-3 weeks after infection.

3-4 days after the onset of the first symptoms, the oliguric stage develops, which is characterized by the appearance of renal symptoms and hemorrhagic manifestations against the background of a persisting high temperature. However, after 4-7 days from the onset of the disease, the temperature begins to decrease. The main symptom of this period is the appearance of severe pain in the lumbar region and in the abdomen. Vomiting, flushing of the skin and hemorrhagic rash still persist. There is a puffy face, pasty eyelids and a sharp decrease in urine output, up to its complete cessation - anuria.

During this period, any even minor injury (tapping on the lower back or even jumping) can lead to such a serious complication - a ruptured kidney, acute renal failure and death.

After 1.5 - 2 weeks, the patient's condition improves, vomiting disappears, pains in the kidney area decrease, and then completely disappear, the amount of urine excreted increases and even exceeds the daily norm. But a general weakness still remains.

With timely and adequate treatment, the patient's condition is normalized, the symptoms gradually disappear.

Treatment and diagnosis of mouse fever

It will not be difficult for experienced doctors to diagnose this infection. And although the onset of the disease is similar to ARVI, unlike the latter, catarrhal symptoms and cough are not observed in such patients.

But on the other hand, a sharp increase in temperature of unknown origin, hemorrhages in the skin, sclera of the eyes, bleeding gums, pain in the kidney area and other symptoms will alert.

The most important evidence of this disease is the collection of an epidemiological history. Only after learning that there was contact (direct or indirect) with mice and being in a focus endemic in terms of incidence, it is possible to confirm the diagnosis of mouse fever. In addition, the diagnosis of the disease must be confirmed by a laboratory blood test.

Treatment of the disease must necessarily take place in an infectious or therapeutic hospital in compliance with strict bed rest. There can be no talk of any folk remedies and treatment at home - too serious a disease and possible complications from it.

Mouse fever - consequences after illness

With timely treatment started, no complications arise, however, a late visit to a doctor and the treatment started can give the following complications:

ruptured kidney
violation of renal excretory function,
eclampsia - convulsive fainting,
pulmonary edema,
the appearance of localized foci of pneumonia,
vascular insufficiency and blood clots.

Mouse fever does not cause special consequences for health - it passes without a trace. But, the danger of the disease lies in late diagnosis and the beginning of treatment, when time has already been lost and kidney damage and liver destruction have begun. This not only leads to very serious illnesses, but also often ends in death. This is where all the possible danger lies.

Having been ill with mouse fever and even having recovered, the patient must strictly follow the regimen and diet for a year.

During the period of treatment and recovery, it is necessary to abandon salty, smoked, spicy foods and alcohol. Food should be bland and lean and low in salt. This is necessary for the normal restoration of kidney function.

How not to get mouse fever

Measures to prevent the disease are elementary, which are already clear from how they get infected with mouse fever. This means:

Destroy rodents wherever they can be adjacent to you.
When putting things in order in forest houses, basements, attics, utility rooms, use masks - bandages on your face, try to clean only with a wet method.
Store food out of the reach of mice.
Do not eat foods that have been spoiled by rodents.
Don't drink water from unknown sources.
And wash your hands, especially when cleaning rooms where there are traces of rodents.